Business E-Reference: Supply Chain

This book focuses on the need to develop sustainable supply chains - economically, environmentally and socially.This book is not about a wish list of impractical choices, but the reality of decisions faced by all those involved in supply chain management today.Our definition of sustainable supply chains is not restricted to so-called "green" supply chains, but recognises that in order to be truly sustainable, supply chains must operate within a realistic financial structure, as well as contribute value to our society. Supply chains are not sustainable unless they are realistically funded and valued. Thus, a real definition of sustainable supply chain management must take account of all relevant economic, social and environmental issues.This book contains examples from a wide range of real-life case studies, and synthesizes the learnings from these many different situations to provide the fundamental building blocks at the centre of successful logistics and supply chain management.

Philip Wessely supports managerial decision-making in the forefront of a potential implementation by introducing a quantification approach for the value contribution of SCIs. The resulting approach combines different innovative modeling techniques and considers the individual integration of companies in inter-organizational networks. As a result, it has a broad field of application.

"In this latest edition of Supply Chain Excellene, the authors provide tools for measuging financial gains linked to value chain optimisation" Business Digest, March 2012 To keep your sales, manufacturing, distribution, and inventory moving in perfect synchronization, you need a flawless, repeatable supply chain improvement approach that maximizes process efficiency, eliminates dysfunction, and aligns disparate organizations--globally. Supply Chain Excellence, ahead of the curve in its original edition, again breaks new ground with a highly compressed timeline for using the SCOR (Supply Chain Operations Reference) framework to plan and execute supply chain improvement. In addition to the value chain processes of DCOR and CCOR, the book is now adapted for use in an SAP environment, in global enterprises, and by small businesses. Featuring examples and experience from roughly 100 projects, the completely updated third edition refines the use of the scorecard for better process analysis; extends the approach to encompass implementation and strategy; and quantifies the financial value of supply chain improvement to demonstrate its importance in achieving lasting competitive advantage.

One of the major challenges for European governments is to solve the dilemma of increasing the security of international trade, while at the same time reducing the administrative burden for commercial as well as public administration organisations. To address these conflicting demands, the ITAIDE project has developed a large set of innovative tools and methodologies, which have been integrated into the ITAIDE Information Infrastructure (I3) framework that enable companies to become in control of their business operations. This makes them well positioned to obtain a Trusted Trader status from the government, entitling them to trade facilitation benefits such as simplified customs procedures and fewer inspections of their goods. Hence, the I3 framework can contribute to making global supply chains faster, cheaper, and more secure. The I3 framework has been tested and validated in five real-life Living Labs, spanning four different sectors of industry, and conducted in five different EU countries.www.itaide.org

Container Terminals (CT) operate as central nodes in worldwide hub-and-spoke networks and link ocean-going vessels with smaller feeder vessels as well as with inbound and outbound hinterland transportation systems using road, rail, or inland waterways. The volume of transcontinental container flows has gained appreciably over the last five decades -- throughput figures of CT reached new records, frequently with double-digit annual growth rates. Stimulated by throughput requirements and stronger competition between terminals settled in the same region or serving a similar hinterland, respectively, cost efficiency and throughput capabilities become more and more important. Nowadays, both terminal capacity and costs have to be regarded as key indicators for CT competitiveness. In respect of this steady growth, this handbook focuses on planning activities being aimed at "order of magnitude improvements" in terminal performance and economic viability. On the one hand the book is intended to provide readership with technological and organizational CT basics for strategic planning. On the other hand this book offers methodical assistance for fundamental dimensioning of CT in terms of 'technique', 'organization' or 'man'. The former primarily considers comprehensive information about container handling technologies representing the state of the art for present terminal operations, while the latter refers to methodological support comprising in particular quantitative solutions and modeling techniques for strategic terminal decisions as well as straightforward design guidelines. The handbook includes an introductory contribution which gives an overview of strategic planning problems at CT and introduces the contributions of the volume with regard to their relationship in this field. Moreover, each paper contains a section or paragraph that describes the impact of findings investigated by the author(s) for problem-solving in long-term planning of CT (as an application domain). The handbook intends to provide solutions and insights that are valuable for both practitioners in industry who need effective planning approaches to overcome problems and weaknesses in terminal design/development and researchers who would like to inform themselves about the state of the art in methodology of strategic terminal planning or be inspired by new ideas. That is to say, the handbook is addressed to terminal planners in practice as well as to students of maritime courses of study and (application oriented) researchers in the maritime field.

What if King Arthur was more than a myth? On a starlit summer's night in the Welsh mountains, an old man is torn from sleep as an ancient prophecy unfolds. On the other side of the Atlantic, an American antiques dealer lies dying on the floor of his shop, blood ebbing from a fatal stab wound. In San Francisco, Mitzi Fallon begins her new job as lead investigator for the FBI's Historical, Religious and Unsolved Crimes Unit. When it emerges that a priceless Celtic relic has been stolen from the murdered antiques dealer, Mitzi finds herself drawn into a mystery that reaches from the heart of the modern US government back to a man once dismissed as myth: King Arthur. Sam Christer, author of the international smash hit, The Stonehenge Legacy, returns with his most dramatic, race-against-time thriller yet. Packed with heart-stopping, addictive suspense and historical intrigue, The Camelot Code is a brand new thriller that is perfect for fans of Dan Brown and Simon Toyne. The King Arthur legend is about to come to life...

This book focuses on the need to develop sustainable supply chains - economically, environmentally and socially.This book is not about a wish list of impractical choices, but the reality of decisions faced by all those involved in supply chain management today.Our definition of sustainable supply chains is not restricted to so-called "green" supply chains, but recognises that in order to be truly sustainable, supply chains must operate within a realistic financial structure, as well as contribute value to our society. Supply chains are not sustainable unless they are realistically funded and valued. Thus, a real definition of sustainable supply chain management must take account of all relevant economic, social and environmental issues.This book contains examples from a wide range of real-life case studies, and synthesizes the learnings from these many different situations to provide the fundamental building blocks at the centre of successful logistics and supply chain management.

Mass Customization excites both Researchers and Practitioners because of the possibility to produce customized products with mass production efficiency. Mass Customization - An Exploration of European Characteristics gives an overview on the need for personalisation from a customer perspective, analyses Mass Customization theories and assesses relevant best practices of European and International markets. The results of a survey among more than 500 European customers show a declining willingness of customers to compromise on the issue of suitability of products to their personal needs and preferences, the possibility for companies to break brand loyalty and the influence of immediate availability, delivery time and price to the customers willingness to take part in the co-creation process. Mass Customization has become important to business because of the difficulties of customers to find what they want despite an increase in product variety for many products over the past decades. The emergence of modern technologies in production and communication, however, allows companies to produce customized products without relinquishing economies of scale. With only few companies having taken this promising path, the authors believe that Mass Customization and Mass Customization related marketing strategies will play an essential role in the future and prompt both market leaders and their competitors to offer customization on a large scale for a vast variety of products.