The Supply Chain Revolution: Innovative Sourcing and Logistics for a Fiercely Competitive World

When CEOs think about the supply chain, it's usually to cut costs. But the smartest leaders see supply chain and sourcing for what they can be: hidden tools for outperforming the competition. Steve Jobs, upon returning to Apple in 1997, focused on transforming the supply chain. He hired Tim Cook--and the company sped up the development of new products, getting them into consumers' hands faster. The rest is history.

Across a range of industries, once-leading companies are in trouble: Walmart,...