Logistics & Supply Chain Management: creating value-adding networks (3rd Edition) (Financial Times Series) (Hardcover)

by Martin Christopher (Author)
Key Phrases: synchronous supply chain, supply chain resilience, supply chain vulnerability, Financial Times, Harvard Business Review, Hewlett Packard (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
In today's highly competitive global marketplace, the pressure on organizations to find new ways to create and deliver value to customers grows ever stronger. There is a growing recognition that through logistic efficiency and effective managment of the supply chain both cost reduction and service enhancement can be achieved. The goal of supply chain management is to link the marketplace, the distribution network, the manufacturing process and the procurement activity in such a way that customers are serviced at higher levels and yet at a lower total cost. In this book, Martin Christopher discusses the role of logistics in achieving these goals. He outines the role of logistics in using service levels to segment markets, exploring approriate measures to assess logistics productivity and service performance. This practical guide provides information on auditing logistic systems and describes how greater responsiveness in the supply chain can be achieved through lead time reduction.

From the Inside Flap
Preface

In today's highly competitive, global marketplace the pressure on organizations to find new ways to create and deliver value to customers grows ever stronger. Gradually, in emerging economies as well as mature markets, the power of the buyer has overtaken that of the customer.

The rules are different in a buyers' market. In particular customer service becomes a key differentiator as the sophistication and demands of customers continually increase.

At the same time, market maturity combined with new sources of global competition has led to over-capacity in many industries leading to an inevitable pressure on price. Price has always been a critical competitive variable in many markets and the signs are that it will become even more of an issue as the "commoditization" of markets continues.

It is against this backdrop that the discipline and philosophy of logistics and supply chain management has moved to the centre stage over the last two decades. The concept of integration within the business and between businesses is not new, but the acceptance of its validity by managers is. There has been a growing recognition that it is through logistics and supply chain management that the twin goals of cost reduction and service enhancement can be achieved. Better management of the "pipeline" means that customers are served more effectively and yet the costs of providing that service are reduced.

This is the focus of this second edition of Logistics and Supply Chain Management. The basic themes and underlying structure of the book have not changed from the first edition but as ideas progress and best practice gets even better, the need for revision and up-dating becomes inevitable. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: FT Press; 3 edition (February 24, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0273681761
• ISBN-13: 978-0273681762
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #43,148 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

72 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Advanced SCM - Must Read Book, November 9, 2000

By	David Livingston (Bethel, CT United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Logistics & Supply Chain Management, Second Edition: Strategies for Reducing Costs and Improving Service (Financial Times Management) (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book and introduces the practioner to some of the frontiers of strategically driven service response logistics. In other words how to design, deploy and organize integrated SCM for corporate strategic reasons, not just for functional cost control. Probably one of three key books for understanding the frontiers and highly recommended.

Key is the process, customer value and system integration perspectives threaded throughout but particularly in the last several chapters. The chaper on service response logistics is worth the price of the book.

As a practioner dealing with advanced SCM I found this very worthwhile and found myself wishing I'd written it. If you are relatively new to the field you need a decent baseline grounding and Stock & Lambert's book on 'Strateigc Logistics' is a perfect complement. To move slightly higher up the food chain get the recent compilation of HBR articles called 'Managing the Value Chain'. Together the three make a perfect bookshelf set for any practioner, student or corporate executive who needs to understand what integrated logistics, SCM or the future of e-business might be doing to your career or your firm's competitive prospects !

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Information Packed, December 4, 2002

By	"supply_guy" (Fort Lauderdale, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Logistics & Supply Chain Management, Second Edition: Strategies for Reducing Costs and Improving Service (Financial Times Management) (Hardcover)

This book is an excellent overview of logistics and supply chain management. I own dozens of texts on these subjects and this is one of the best. If your looking for a college text with problems to work out; then this is not the book for you. But, if your looking for quick insight into these topics, this is an excellent choice. The book quickly teaches the reader strategy, industry trends and supplies some basic quantitative tools. The industry examples bring the topics to life. Two thumbs up from me.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not my first choice...., April 12, 2002

By	Cheap-n-Easy (Triad, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Logistics & Supply Chain Management, Second Edition: Strategies for Reducing Costs and Improving Service (Financial Times Management) (Hardcover)

If you like me need to get to SCM strategic or tactical decisions, I would rather consult other books I also own. "Strategic Logistics Management" from a school book perspective and the brand new "Designing and Managing the Supply Chain" are excellent and better resources, covering everything (and then some) this book can offer. I will probably resell my copy of this book.
For SAP "Jockeys" or those who are thinking about SAP, "Supply Chain Management based on SAP Systems" is Excellent.