Strategic Supply Management: Creating the Next Source of Competitive Advantage

The popular press is loaded with stories about supply problems affecting many industries. Extensive outsourcing of major portions of a firm's value chain, relentless pressure from customers to improve product and service functionality and to reduce costs across almost every industry, and steep global competition have combined to create a search for new sources of competitive advantage. This search has led to supply management, the management of suppliers, and improved supply base relationsh...