Customer Reviews

Delivering the Goods: The Art of Managing Your Supply Chain

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The keys to managing my own corporate supply chain "clicked" while flipping the pages. Also, lots of "Aha!" breakthroughs while reading, and tips to reinforce these concepts - this is what every business person should know, but wouldn't quite know where to look for it. What a refreshing perspective and chock full of case studies to learn from. I'll be keeping this one close to my desk to refer back to for years to come. Thanks!

This is one of the better books addressing the theory and practice of logistics and supply chain management. If you're a professional logistician, this is a good book. If you're not a professional logistician wanting to learn more about logistics efficiency and the massive impact it can have on cost and service, this is a great book!!

I would strongly recommend this book to general managers of warehousing and manufacturing operations, senior officers hoping to learn more about logistics strategy and tactics, and even front line managers who can utilize this work to connect the logistics function silo with the entire enterprise.

The first part of the book provides a good history of Logistics but over rates the purported military genius of Desert Storm - the truth was that they shipped too much stuff and things that were not needed at a great expense and ended up leaving it to rot...not much expertise needed to waste the taxpayer's money.

The rest of the book is a rehash of well known SCM principles and is a terrible way to try to get these across. It is page after page of text, with no diagrams of the "system" that the author is trying to get across, but I suspect that the system may not really make sense if constructed and that is why it is not...baffle the readers with text.

If you do not know anything about SCM, this is a good intro, but I was greatly disappointed in this book, especially in light of the glowing reviews that this received.

Schechter has probably written the quintessential historical study on logistics with this volume. It is filled with interesting details of the human qualities and quirks of the generals and management gurus that investigated the problems of logistics and explains the processes involved with lucidity and wit. The book follows a chronological approach; however, it's also thematic to show the evolution of the subject of logistics and the influence of other functions on it - such as marketing. The serious and thoughtful manager is advised to read this book carefully.

Damon Schechter's DELIVERING THE GOODS is an extremely informative and entertaining telling of the story of logistics. Through the course of the book, he elucidates the basic concepts of logistics in an informal yet highly effective manner. He delves into the human aspect quite a bit; we are privy to the trials and tribulations of those ingenious men who first pioneered the ideas behind supply chain and logistics management.

The primary purpose of DELIVERING THE GOODS is as a terrific primer about logistics and its history that will pique the interest of any person who has had little formal background in the art of logistics management. The main strength of DELIVERING THE GOODS lies in its astounding clarity which does not come at the expense of comprehensiveness. Schechter assumes no prior experience with supply chain concepts or logistics management. It is this accessibility which makes this the first book on logistics you should buy.

In summary, I highly recommend this to anyone who has at least a passing interest in supply chains or logistics. For those with experience in logistics management, the history of logistics presented in DELIVERING THE GOODS will still be very interesting. However, do not expect all of the ideas to be new.

This could arguably be called modern supplementary reading to Sun Tsu's Art of War. It provides an interesting overview of logistics and supply chain management from the ancient world to modern times.

The text is separated into two sections. The first half deals with the origins of logistics as a military art from Alexander the Great to the Gulf War and introduces the reader to the logisticians behind the generals. The second half deals with Schechter's logistical approach: The Tri-Level View, supplemented by case studies at the text's conclusion.

As stated in the Epilogue, logistics is neither boring, nor is it donkey work, but the strategic differentiator between companies which will succeed or fail. After all, You can't promise what you can't deliver.

The book is basically divided into two halves. The first half reads like a John Keegan book. If you're into military history at all, you'll really love this. I heard Keegan was actually involved in the writing of the first half. It's first class. The second half is where they filter the lessons from the first half into a pretty thorough checklist of ways to improve your organization. I enjoyed the book immensely. How about a Delivering the ______ series???

Its debut could not be more timely. Mastering the "art of your supply chain" becomes even more critical to remaining competitive in today's stormy economy. A must read...

Often forgotten and seldom fully understood the Supply Chain Executive's role is finally acknowledged in a splendid read. The mirror of successful military executions to those accomplished daily in the modern business environment is achieved succinctly with the authors' fresh approach. This instant classic is a "must read" for all, whether in the noble endeavor of Supply Chain Management and Execution, or simply engaged in competitive business.

I purchased this book because I am pursuing a masters degree in the logistics field. Its kind of flimsy and not very interesting. There are a lot of military quotes and references included. I think that the author relied heavily on a collection of military history books. Not very original or inspiring. The only reason that it gets two stars from me is that I used it on a paper that I wrote, so yes, you can get some good reference material from it. But not much else. I would try to find Pagonis' "Moving Mountains" if you want a good military logistics book.