Start Pulling Your Chain!: Leading Responsive Supply Chain Transformation

by Donald J. Bowersox and Nicholas J. LaHowchic

Because of the Internet, with its continuing technological advances supported by ongoing multitrillion-dollar investments in global communications and transportation infrastructure, the cadence of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0980089603
• ISBN13: 9780980089608
• Release Date: March 2008
• Publisher: Ogi Enterprises
• Length: 358 Pages
• Weight: 1.96 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A must for any business library collection.

Connections are flat out required to get anything done in this day and age. "Start Pulling Your Chain: Leading Responsive Supply Chain Transformation" will show you how to operate a functioning supply chain for businesses and examining the paradigm shift of the information age. Insight and information on how to create wonderful relationships with your customers and a how to guide to make the transformation from your old business model effectively round out this essential book alongside an index. "Start Pulling Your Chain: Leading Responsive Supply Chain Transformation" is a must for any business library collection.

Start Pulling Your Chain

As supply chains have evolved from static, United States-centric, technology-aided push processes to dynamic, global, information-driven pull systems, those that get it have developed a sustainable competitive advantage. Those that don't risk extinction. The authors make this complex and vital business competency easy to understand, and they reinforce the need to START PULLING YOUR CHAIN. ...William D. Zollars, Chairman of the Board, President, and Chief Executive Officer, YRCW Worldwide

Pulling Your Supply Chain

If you are not in the process of transforming your supply chain to meet the demands of today's market dynamics and the realities of a world that is now flat, your company is going to be in serious competitive jeopardy. That, in a nutshell, is the message of Start Pulling Your Chain - Leading Responsive Supply Chain Transformation, an outstanding new book by two of the most well-known names in supply chain management: Nick LaHowchic, former supply chain executive at Becton Dickinson and The Limited Brands, and Michigan State University's Dr. Don Bowersox. LaHowchic and Bowersox argue persuasively that traditional approaches to supply chain processes, organization, and information flow are simply not suited to this new supply chain era. I liked this quote from Ralph Drayer, former chief logistics officer at Procter & Gamble, in the book's introduction: "Successful companies in the 21st century will be those that exploit web-based information technology and drive the use of collaboration to more strategically transform their supply chains." LaHowchic and Bowersox say it this way: "We believe that traditional business organization models and leadership behavior can and must radically change to survive and prosper in this new order of global affairs." I am glad we all agree it is "a new order" of some kind. In reality, many "supply chain transformations" come when a company has its back to the wall - deteriorating financial performance, major customer dissatisfaction or defections, etc. The powerful message of this book is that consumers, customers (e.g., channels), and supply chain networks are evolving so rapidly, across a global tableau, that even companies that today have what might appear to be well functioning supply chains need to begin a new process of transformation right now to position themselves for success in this shifting landscape. How? In this limited space I can hardly do justice to the full scope of ideas and models LaHowchic and Bowersox present, but here are some of those that seemed most important to me: -- It's not a new idea that we're much better off with a "pull"-oriented approach to supply chain than the traditional "push" models, but LaHowchic and Bowersox say that changing technology (e.g., the web, visibility) and a greater understanding of how to build a more responsive supply chain organization can finally make a true pull-based model a reality. -- Companies must therefore build their own versions of a "Responsive Supply Chain Model" - one that in most respects simply wasn't possible without the flow of information now available. For LaHowchic and Bowersox, a Responsive Supply Chain is built on six pillars: consumer connectivity; operational excellence; integrative management; real-time responsiveness; leveraging the network effect; and collaboration. -- The reality is few companies and even senior supply chain leaders know well how to apply these principles to achieve a new type of supply chain organiza