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

Across a range of industries, once-leading companies are in trouble: Walmart, IBM, Pfizer, HP, and The Gap to name a few. But others are thriving. The difference is how the company’s leaders view their supply chain: Is it just about cutting cost or do they see its 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. While competitors were shutting stores, Zara’s highly responsive supply chain made it the most valued company in the retail space and its founder, the richest man in Europe.Showcasing real solutions learned from true success stories like these and many others, The Supply Chain Revolution provides for business leaders the secrets to succeeding in a disruptive world. They will learn to:• Make alliances more successful• Simplify and debottleneck the supply chain• Boost retail success by managing store investment• Improve customer satisfaction and increase revenue• And more!Every year, more businesses fail because of their old-school views toward cutting costs, and they usually begin with the supply chain. Don’t go down with that ship! Discover how the right supply chain can actually help you thrive.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“…simply and understandably laid out, making it especially useful for non-supply chain managers and executives or anyone wanting to grasp the basics of supply chain's potential.” —Supply Chain Digest

“…clear, simple exploration of efficiencies that can be gained throughout the supply chain…thorough examination of sourcing and services and how to best meet customer needs efficiently.” —Choice

Book Description

The secret to succeeding in a disruptive 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, IBM, Pfizer, HP, and The Gap to name a few. But others thrive. While competitors were shutting stores, Zara’s highly responsive supply chain made it the most valued company in the retail space and its founder, the richest man in Europe. The success of TJX, Amazon, Starbucks, and Airbus, is fueled by supply chain and sourcing. Showcasing real solutions, The Supply Chain Revolution will:

Improve customer satisfaction and increase revenue • Make alliances more successful • Simplify and debottleneck the supply chain • Boost retail success by managing store investment • Drive excellence

Technology is disrupting business models. Strategies must change. The Supply Chain Revolution flips conventional thinking and offers a powerful way for companies to compete in challenging times.

From the Inside Flap

Why do companies like Wal-Mart, P&G, Pfizer, HP, and Boeing struggle to compete in the current business environment while others like Apple, T.J. Maxx, and European retailer, Zara, succeed beyond all expectation? Read The Supply Chain Revolution to learn the new supply chain and sourcing techniques these high-performing companies are using to gain the advantage in their markets.

Once dismissed for being “boring,” supply chain and sourcing have come into bloom in this digital, global world. Just look at Apple’s exponential growth after Steve Jobs made supply chain enhancement a priority. He brought in Tim Cook for the revamp, and Cook and his supply-centricity have been leading Apple to success ever since. Another example of the revolution underway is TJX Companies, the parent of retailer, T.J. Maxx. Their agile sourcing model has led to an unboring market valuation of nearly $50 billion.

Companies today face a shrinking range of options as tactics like incremental product innovation, marketing, and geographic expansions lose their potency. Suman Sarkar shows how the future lies in new and different approaches to supply chains and sourcing.

Using case studies of world-leading companies and more than two decades of hands-on consulting experience, Suman Sakar highlights what makes supply chain and sourcing such powerful weapons in business today. And he provides a simple and practical guide for how companies can start wielding them to their advantage. Read this book to master the new thinking and learn to:

• Drive customer satisfaction and profitability through segmentation and incentives.

• Increase revenue by reducing the response time needed to meet new market demands.

• Better manage supply relationships and improve the performance of critical alliances.

• Transform high-risk supply chains into operations that contribute to big-picture objectives.

• Reduce sourcing costs by engaging contractors in new and different ways.

• Use analytical tools for sourcing services more efficiently and increase ROI.

• Smash traditional thinking by optimizing outsourcing arrangements for IT, payroll, facilities, and more.

• Drive business excellence by leveraging the work performed by outside suppliers.

The more technology and new business models continue to disrupt current businesses, the more strategies companies need in order to adapt, anticipate, and succeed. Read The Supply Chain Revolution to arm your company with powerful new techniques for competing in these challenging times.

Suman Sarkar is a Partner at Three S Consulting where he works as a supply chain and sourcing consultant with leading companies across multiple industries, including financial services, wireless, pharmaceutical, technology, consumer goods, retail, and defense. With more than 20 years of international consulting experience, Suman has a proven track record for bringing an innovative and strategic approach to supply chains and sourcing.

From the Back Cover

Advance Praise for The Supply Chain Revolution:

“This book is indeed thought-provoking for supply chain practitioners as well as for business leaders. Suman Sarkar’s guided multi-step approach focuses on simplification without ignoring business complexity. It will help companies reform their supply chains to enable a healthier business.”— P. Venkatram, Vice President, APAC Planning and Logistics Head, LEGO

“The Supply Chain Revolution is a brilliant, clear, and simple guide for corporate executives who want to transform their supply chain. I have never seen such a clear and actionable plan for taking supply chain management to the next level. Supply chains have become more complex in the last three decades as a result of globalization, the increasing pace of innovation, and competitive intensity. Suman Sarkar explains how best-in-class companies debottleneck their supply chains by drawing from his own experience transforming supply chains both from inside a company and from outside as a consultant.”— Atul Tripathi, Senior Director, Global Value Innovation, Pepsico

“Suman Sarkar does an excellent job of demystifying supply chain concepts and presents a logical framework to unlock tremendous value across the organization value chain. The fact that Sarkar has been a “hands-on” practitioner himself allows him to showcase solutions that will resonate well with supply chain managers /leaders across the industry spectrum. Well done, Suman . . . . eagerly awaiting future insights.”— Yogesh Gupta, Vice President (Global Operations), Cargill Business Services

“The Supply Chain Revolution provides a lucid commentary of some of the most basic supply chain challenges frustrating senior management across different industries. Adopting a methodical approach to inventory tracking, product fulfillment, and channel distribution will help yield significant value in cash flow and reduce inventory obsolescence costs.”— Ramesh Krish, VP Supply Chain and Head of Procurement (CPO), Presbyterian Healthcare Services

“Suman Sarkar does a great job in explaining the practical solutions to common supply chain problems. He delivers an engaging balance between strategic perspec-tives and operational issues that make for an interesting read.”— Satish Jain, Director, Supply Chain and PLM, Scotts Miracle-Gro

About the Author

Suman Sarkar is a partner at Three S Consulting, where he has helped leading companies drive excellence in their supply chain and sourcing.