The book examines a relatively unexplored issue in supply chain risk management, which is how long companies specifically take to respond to catastrophic events of low probability but high impact. The book also looks at why such supply chain disruptions are unavoidable, and consequently, all complex supply chains are inherently at risk. The book illustrates how companies can respond to supply chain disruptions with faster responses and in shorter lead-times to reduce impact. In reducing total response time, designing solutions, and deploying a recovery plan sooner after a disruption in anticipation of such events, companies reduce the impact of disruption risk. The book also explores the basics of multiple-criteria decision-making (MCDM) and analytic hierarchy process (AHP), and how they contribute to both the quality of the financial economic decision-making process and the quality of the resulting decisions. The book illustrates through cases in the construction sector how this industry has become more complex and riskier due to the diverse nature of activities among global companies.

As markets become more dynamic and competitive, companies must reconsider how they view inventory and make changes to their production and inventory systems. They must begin to think outside the classical box and develop a new paradigm of inventory management. Exploring the trend away from classical models based on economic order quantities to dependent demand systems, Inventory Management: Non-Classical Views comes as a just-in-time resource. Explore the new role of inventories in business enterprises This book discusses a new paradigm for inventory management that is responsive to dynamic changes in the economy. It explores: Inventory systems that provide flexibility Inventory performance measures other than using cost as a means to control inventory Inventory as a contributor to customer value creation, rather than a liability The book also examines why energy and the environment are to be considered in inventory decisions, the non-classical application of inventory management in fields such as healthcare and disaster relief, and non-classical approaches to measuring the performance of inventory such as information theory, fuzzy sets, and thermodynamics. While many factors may change, one certainty is that the global economy is becoming increasingly dynamic. Planting the seeds for new research in inventory control and management, this book outlines the evolving role of inventories in business enterprises. It explores how to create inventory management as a tool for continued success regardless of market fluctuations and economic variances.

Due to globalization and internationalization of agri-food production, the arena of competition and competitive advantage is moving from individual firms operating on spot markets towards supply chains and networks. Therefore, coordination between firms within the chain becomes more important. Topics like costs, efficiency, risk and investment analysis have received little empirical attention within chain and network research. Nonetheless, these performance measures are of vital importance for continuity of individual companies, chains and networks.

This book aims at offering a coherent view on this matter by discussing the possibilities and limitations of quantifying performance, risks and investments in the agri-food chain. A wide variety of approaches from different economic disciplines was used to analyse the complex systems of agri-food supply chains and develop appropriate models for management decision support. Research gaps and discussion points are identified by an international forum of researchers in order to enhance progress in this field.

This book contains fundamental concepts on discrete mathematical structures in an easy to understand style so that the reader can grasp the contents and explanation easily. The concepts of discrete mathematical structures have application to computer science, engineering and information technology including in coding techniques, switching circuits, pointers and linked allocation, error corrections, as well as in data networking, Chemistry, Biology and many other scientific areas. The book is for undergraduate and graduate levels learners and educators associated with various courses and progammes in Mathematics, Computer Science, Engineering and Information Technology. The book should serve as a text and reference guide to many undergraduate and graduate programmes offered by many institutions including colleges and universities. Readers will find solved examples and end of chapter exercises to enhance reader comprehension. Features Offers comprehensive coverage of basic ideas of Logic, Mathematical Induction, Graph Theory, Algebraic Structures and Lattices and Boolean Algebra Provides end of chapter solved examples and practice problems Delivers materials on valid arguments and rules of inference with illustrations Focuses on algebraic structures to enable the reader to work with discrete structures

Successfully managed product information for mass customization avoids disclosure of how these systems work. This is the first book to provide a holistic recognition of the essential aspects of an IT-supported product configuration system. It reveals the basic building blocks of these systems and their operational and strategic implications.

Roger Moser analyses the relationships between business priorities and PSM strategy and shows in detail how business strategies influence PSM. He develops a PSM strategy concept which enables supply managers to break down strategic priorities from a business strategy level to a PSM level and to define appropriate actions when dealing with suppliers, supply markets and internal customers.

Steigender Wettbewerbsdruck, kurzere Innovationszyklen und Marktsattigung machen den Einkauf zum entscheidenden Ansatzpunkt, um das Unternehmensergebnis zur verbessern. Dieses Buch beschreibt alle Instrumente im Einkauf ausfuhrlich, strukturiert und praxisorientiert. Sehr nutzlich fur alle, die Budgetverantwortung tragen."

For over a decade, there has been an increasing interest in the use of supply chain methods to improve performance across the entire business enterprise. Numerous industries have recognized the importance of efficient supply chain integration, and, as a result, supply chain management has become a standard part of business practice.

The Practice of Supply Chain Management: Where Theory and Application Converge is a must-have volume for users of supply chain management methods, supply chain management researchers, and students in supply chain management. The objective of the book is to provide an overview of this important practice-research cycle, and it is organized into three sections: Core Concepts and Practices; Emerging Supply Chain Practices; and Supply Chain in Action. The focus of the book is on supply chain practice, but supply chain practice that has been heavily influenced by supply chain research. It is this synergy between research and practice that continues to simulate new directions for research.

"Supply Chain Event Management (SCEM)" is one of the major topics in application-oriented Supply Chain Management. However, many solutions lack conceptual precision and currently available client-server SCEM-systems are ill-suited for complex supply networks in today's business environment. Agent-based proactive information logistics promises to overcome existing deficits by providing event-related information to all participants in the distributed environment. Hence, follow-up costs of disruptive events are significantly reduced for all network participants and performance of a supply network is increased.

In this book a thorough analysis of the event management problem domain is the starting point to develop a generic agent-based approach to Supply Network Event Management. The main focus lies on practical issues of event management (e.g., semantic interoperability) and economic benefits to be achieved with agent technology in this state-of-the-art problem domain.

This book defines supply chains, focusing on the impact that they can have o the retail industry. Featuring step-by-step how supply chains are set up, the factors that can impact them and what that means to the customer.

On the backdrop of the institutionalisation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability, and the emergence of multi-stakeholder-driven voluntary regulation, this timely collection places special emphasis on India and explores its international voluntary sustainability standards. The authors analyse the adoption and implementation of voluntary governance initiatives across a range of industries, offering insightful sectoral discussion and evaluation of voluntary sustainability standards as forms of transnational private regulation. This book will be of interest to anyone researching CSR, sustainability and supply chain management in emerging markets.

Buying, merchandising and the supply chain are inextricably linked. Product merchandisers play a key role within retail, as profits can be affected by how successfully they undertake their work. Merchandisers set prices to maximise profits and manage the performance of ranges, planning promotions and mark-downs as necessary. They also oversee delivery and distribution of stock and deal with suppliers. Their connection with and understanding of the supply chain is vital. Supported by theories, explanations and real-life examples, Managing the Retail Supply Chain looks at concepts and core themes that run across all sectors. Many businesses use a one-size-fits-all solution for any issues which arise, leading to big problems. Managing the Retail Supply Chain presents numerous examples of different business models adopted by a variety of companies. Covering basic principles of retail supply chain, KPIs, merchandise planning and demand planning as well as omnichannel, vertical integration, on-shelf availability and e-commerce, Managing the Retail Supply Chain is an essential guide for anyone involved in or studying retail supply chains and merchandising.

If the only measure of your organization's purchasing performance is forcing down prices from suppliers then not only is your purchasing team failing to add value, they may also be damaging your supply chain and the medium to long-term competitiveness of your organization. Derek Roylance's Purchasing Performance - Measuring, Marketing and Selling the Purchasing Function is a blueprint to help you identify the performance measures and marketing expertise that matter for your purchasing team. Buyers don't exist in isolation but often find it easier to focus excessively on the external market place leading to neglect and subsequent alienation of their internal customers. The book recommends operating the function as a business within a business. Part of this approach is to increase market share by better internal marketing and selling of their procurement expertise. The author provides practical methods for measuring purchasing performance and then communicating effectively - to the whole organization - the contribution the function can make to increase competitive advantage, profitability and all-round efficiency. In an intensely competitive world marketplace, purchasing can only achieve its true potential if it can persuade top decision makers that it will pay them to involve their procurement specialists in all major strategic decisions; the book shows how to achieve this top-level influence.

The fashion industry is a multibillion-dollar global industry with a variety of organizational structures and a multitude of challenges. Such scope triggered the recent rise in management programs in the U.S. and Europe aiming to produce and train young managers to meet such global and diverse challenges. Managing Fashion covers the fashion business with a twist - a management twist. Its goal is to tackle the topics from a fashion manager perspective referencing relevant management concepts and theories, thus offering a deeper and more practical dimension to the issues addressed. It offers a balanced mix of fashion and management, theory and application, as well as creating an opportunity for analysis and critical thinking. Discussions throughout the book are supported by specially developed case studies and relevant examples taken from the fashion industry. It is an opportunity to expose the fashion student or reader, as well as aspiring fashion managers, to a more practical approach to fashion theories and issues. Managing Fashion will serve as a core text for Fashion Studies, Fashion Entrepreneurship, and Fashion Merchandising majors as well as for special business degrees and management certificates targeting the fashion industry.

Projects are inherently risky, since they involve some level of uncertainty, doing something new in the target environment, but the percentage of projects seen as a success is still disappointingly low, especially for IT projects. The 'Iron Triangle' of time/cost/quality suggests that all three aspects are equal, but with quantitative methods for monitoring project performance, the focus is primarily on managing cost and time. This book seeks to redress the balance, explaining the rationale and benefits of focusing more on quality (fitness for purpose and conformance to requirements) before detailing a range of tools and techniques to support rebalancing the management of projects, programmes and portfolios. It shows how managing project quality actively can reduce costs through minimising wastage, and reduce delays through avoiding rework, leading to improved project success rates and customer satisfaction.

Negotiation is an essential skill for all those operating commercially on behalf of their organisations. The ability to negotiate quotations, tenders, proposals, internal and external stakeholders, licensing agreements and so on, could form a critical part of any employee's role, be it on the buy or supply side. The Negotiation Handbook is a useful guide for all those wanting to understand how to apply tools and techniques to the negotiation process. This handbook has been subdivided into seven key sections, each representing a key phase in the negotiation process. The models and concepts are presented so that both a pictorial and explanatory commentary is available to the reader. This practical handbook supports all those working in a commercial capacity, so that they may apply commonly used tools and techniques and gain maximum benefit on behalf of their employers.

Global systems integrators, outsourcers and consulting firms are responsible for directly leveraging or influencing most IT investment in large corporations. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), software companies and other technology providers aspire to create mutually successful partnerships with the large influencers due to their 'business case' driven approach, their early stage engagement in the sales cycle, their C-Suite relationships with large multi-national enterprises, and the often-giant scale of the typical technology spend that their projects and engagements drive. The projects that these companies deliver are specialist and complex, meaning that companies who aspire to work successfully in the sector require skill, knowledge and a sophisticated alliance approach to gain credibility and maintain long term sustainable relationships. The Ultimate Route to Market provides an insight into the practices, construct and culture of global consulting firms, systems integrators and outsourcers and provides a suggested framework for a successful alliance with them. Here, Ian Shanahan provides organisations with an overview of the global systems integrator, outsourcer and consulting firm sectors, provides insight into their culture and expertly explains alliance best practice methodology. This is a must read for anyone that aspires to understand the market, how it works and how they become desirable to the large IT services companies, so that they can execute alliance engagements to the sector in a measured, methodical and low risk way.

In order to buy well it is important to understand a few basic principles and apply a series of tools and approaches in given situations. The Buyer's Toolkit distills all the best practice tools for professional buying and negotiating into a simple, jargon-free framework that can be picked up and applied by anyone who buys. The book seeks to transform how individuals view and practise buying so they know when to influence a situation and what to do to buy well. The Buyer's Toolkit has a simple chapter layout, contains graphics and models, and a simple flow of tools through the book with an overarching framework, that glues them together. Covering different buying scenarios, understanding and defining the requirements, choosing the right deal and supplier, negotiation, managing the contract and the suppliers, fixing problems and sustainable buying, this comprehensive guide will help you boost your advantage as a buyer.

Recipient of the 2019 IISE Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers Joint Publishers Book-of-the-Year Award This is a comprehensive textbook on service systems engineering and management. It emphasizes the use of engineering principles to the design and operation of service enterprises. Service systems engineering relies on mathematical models and methods to solve problems in the service industries. This textbook covers state-of-the-art concepts, models and solution methods important in the design, control, operations and management of service enterprises. Service Systems Engineering and Management begins with a basic overview of service industries and their importance in today's economy. Special challenges in managing services, namely, perishability, intangibility, proximity and simultaneity are discussed. Quality of service metrics and methods for measuring them are then discussed. Evaluating the design and operation of service systems frequently involves the conflicting criteria of cost and customer service. This textbook presents two approaches to evaluate the performance of service systems - Multiple Criteria Decision Making and Data Envelopment Analysis. The textbook then discusses several topics in service systems engineering and management - supply chain optimization, warehousing and distribution, modern portfolio theory, revenue management, retail engineering, health systems engineering and financial services. Features: Stresses quantitative models and methods in service systems engineering and management Includes chapters on design and evaluation of service systems, supply chain engineering, warehousing and distribution, financial engineering, healthcare systems, retail engineering and revenue management Bridges theory and practice Contains end-of-chapter problems, case studies, illustrative examples, and real-world applications Service Systems Engineering and Management is primarily addressed to those who are interested in learning how to apply operations research models and methods for managing service enterprises. This textbook is well suited for industrial engineering students interested in service systems applications and MBA students in elective courses in operations management, logistics and supply chain management that emphasize quantitative analysis.

Contract management is a key management skill, yet it is underplayed in most organizations, which usually default to project management skills as a proxy for contract management skills. Whilst project management skills are equally essential, they are not the same thing. Contract Management looks at the wider contract management picture from an industrial-commercial perspective, and helps set-out typical structures and processes that assist the contract management task. The author uses diagramatic representations to depict complex ideas. Contract Management includes "learning points" in each chapter, looking at handling problems, procedural changes and enhancing commercial performance.

This book summarizes a set of lectures given at U.C. Berkeley in the Fall of 2001, highlighting the connection between traffic flow, queuing systems and supply chains. The book unveils the root causes of the "bullwhip" effect; i.e., where the production of raw materials in a supply chain is seen to be more volatile than that of intermediate goods, and even more so than the final customer demand. It also shows that this indesirable effect arises if suppliers act in a certain non-cooperative way, even if they have perfect information about the future. Their actions, just as importantly as what they know, determine the stability of a supply chain. The book then describes control methods for eliminating all instabilities without increasing supplier costs, and presents approximate cost formulas. It also shows that for every supply chain, there is a dual queuing system with identical behavior, and that queuing systems can be similary controled.

Supply chains, including logistics, are the functional elements of an organisation's operations. To formulate a strategy for this operation to work seamlessly the organisation needs to align these operations with the corporate and business strategy. Strategic Supply Chain Management provides a discussion on effective supply chain strategic leadership for managerial teams who have previously been operating on a tactical or operational level, as well as students who need to learn about applying the theories of strategic supply chain management in practice. Strategic Supply Chain Management introduces concepts and tools which will enable successful buyer-supplier relationships and effective organizational leadership and talent management. Samir Dani provides a concise but important outlook on the connection between business strategy and supply chain strategy. The book delves into topical issues of risk, resilience, and sustainability and how these influence both business and supply chain strategy. The book also considers strategies for procurement, buyer supplier relationships, and sales & operations planning. An important aspect of this book is to consider the leadership and talent aspects of the humans in the supply chain and how this influences strategy and creates competitive advantage.

Increasing customer needs, the globalization of markets and the evolution of e-commerce add to the complexity of logistic processes. In today's business, it is well understood that an effective management of logistic processes is impossible without the use of computer-based tools and quantitative methods. This book presents in a systematic way quantitative approaches to distribution logistics and supply chain management. The main orientation of the book is towards practical problem solving, and numerous case studies and practical applications are presented. The topics covered include: supply chain management, revers logistics, e-commerce, facility location and network planning, vehicle routing, warehousing, inventory control.

All businesses strive for excellence in today's technology-based environment in which customers want solutions at the touch of a button. This highly regarded textbook provides in-depth coverage of the principles of operations and supply chain management and explains how to design, implement, and maintain processes for sustainable competitive advantage. This text offers a unique combination of theory and practice with a strategic, results-driven approach. Now in its fourth edition, Operations Management for Business Excellence has been updated to reflect major advances and future trends in supply chain management. A new chapter on advanced supply chain concepts covers novel logistics technology, information systems, customer proximity, sustainability, and the use of multiple sales channels. As a platform for discussion, the exploration of future trends includes self-driving vehicles, automation and robotics, and omnichannel retailing. Features include: A host of international case studies and examples to demonstrate how theory translates to practice, including Airbus, Hewlett Packard, Puma, and Toyota. A consistent structure to aid learning and retention: Each chapter begins with a detailed set of learning objectives and finishes with a chapter summary, a set of discussion questions and a list of key terms. Fully comprehensive with an emphasis on the practical, this textbook should be core reading for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students of operations management and supply chain management. It would also appeal to executives who desire an understanding of how to achieve and maintain 'excellence' in business. Online resources include lecture slides, a glossary, test questions, downloadable figures, and a bonus chapter on project management.