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What is the quickest way to get up to speed on supply chain management?

Written by: Jon Hansen

Article Overview: Member Question: What books or other resources can you recommend to a project and product manager who suddenly wants/needs to learn as much as possible about managing supply chains of diverse products? In the past, my role has involved only product development and marketing, not managing the flow of of raw materials from suppliers, managing inventory, delivery and so forth. I'd be grateful for any resource recommendations.

What is the quickest way to get up to speed on supply chain management?

There are no real shortcuts, however there are pitfalls in terms of the models (i.e. SCOR, Six Sigma) that have actually contributed to the high rate of supply chain/e-procurement initiative fails. (Note: Industry studies estimate that 85% of all projects world wide fail to meet expectations.)

Having noted the above, there are some key tenets that can help you to lay a solid foundation in terms of understanding. Rather than delving into the concepts of similarity heuristics and iterative methodologies, a practical starting pont is a 7-Part series I wrote titled Dangerous Supply Chain Myths.

Start with the May 28, 2007 post titled "Recent ISM, CAPS and Kearney Report Perpetuates Dangerous Supply Myths," and read through to Part 7 (Enabling Technology: The Emergence of the Metaprise).

While it will not be on overly long or onerous read, the insights along with the corresponding reference material should prove quite useful.

From there you can then expand into different areas such as Cluster Development, Double Marginalization and the Decentralized Supply Chain, as well as review the viability of Multiple Supply Chains in greater detail.

As an example I have included the link to an article which explains Double Marginalization, and why it matters.

Finally, and depending on the time lines under which you are operating, you will want to look at the various models that are still to varying degrees being championed in the mainstream.

In this last segment, I have provided a link to a recent article (March 18, 2008) I wrote titled Optimization Modeling and the Modern Supply Chain.

Links:

To obtain copies of the corresponding reference materials, contact the author.

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Article Tags: article march, chain links, cluster development, double marginalization, e procurement, enabling technology, heuristics, ism, iterative, pitfalls, recent article, reference material, reference materials, scor, six sigma, solid foundation, supply chains, tenets, time lines, viability



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