This study addresses a vital aspect of supply-chain management, and offers an expos on the quality management food chain from an industry insider.

Globalization, technology and an increasingly competitive business environment have encouraged huge changes in what is known as supply chain management, the art of sourcing components and delivering finished goods to the customer as cost effectively and efficiently as possible. Dell transformed the way people bought and were able to customize computers. Wal-Mart and Tesco have used their huge buying power and logistical skills to ensure the supply and stock management of their stores is finely honed. Manufacturers now make sure that components are where they are needed on the production line just in time for when they are needed and no longer. Such finessing of the way the supply chain works boosts the corporate bottom line and can make the difference between being a market leader or an also ran. This guide explores all the different aspects of supply chain management and gives hundreds of real life examples of what firms have achieved in the field.

This book draws together key insights from the relevant literature across diverse disciplines and presents detailed research case studies of six extended global supply chains in three industries: toys, food, and pharmaceuticals. These case studies cover U.S. companies with supply chains that extend into China and include the perspectives of U.S. and Chinese executives. The book then presents a conceptual model that synthesizes the literature and case studies, and describes the ways in which alternative product recall strategies influence consumers' perception of an organization's corporate social legitimacy and consumers' future purchasing behaviors.

The managed flow of goods and information from raw material to final sale also known as a "supply chain" affects everythingâ€"from the U.S. gross domestic product to where you can buy your jeans. The nature of a company's supply chain has a significant effect on its success or failureâ€"as in the success of Dell Computer's make-to-order system and the failure of General Motor's vertical integration during the 1998 United Auto Workers strike. Supply Chain Integration looks at this crucial component of business at a time when product design, manufacture, and delivery are changing radically and globally. This book explores the benefits of continuously improving the relationship between the firm, its suppliers, and its customers to ensure the highest added value. This book identifies the state-of-the-art developments that contribute to the success of vertical tiers of suppliers and relates these developments to the capabilities that small and medium-sized manufacturers must have to be viable participants in this system. Strategies for attaining these capabilities through manufacturing extension centers and other technical assistance providers at the national, state, and local level are suggested. This book identifies action steps for small and medium-sized manufacturersâ€"the "seed corn" of business start-up and developmentâ€"to improve supply chain management. The book examines supply chain models from consultant firms, universities, manufacturers, and associations. Topics include the roles of suppliers and other supply chain participants, the rise of outsourcing, the importance of information management, the natural tension between buyer and seller, sources of assistance to small and medium-sized firms, and a host of other issues. Supply Chain Integration will be of interest to industry policymakers, economists, researchers, business leaders, and forward-thinking executives.

In the newly revised seventh edition of Managing Quality: Integrating the Supply Chain, a decorated team of operations experts delivers a thorough introduction to quality management with an enduring emphasis on the importance of the supply chain for quality improvement. You'll obtain an integrated understanding of the customers, suppliers, technology, and people essential to maintaining and enhancing product quality in business. This latest edition combines the unifying theme of the supply chain with the latest developments in critical subject areas, like Lean, Six Sigma, and service quality. Updated vignettes and references maintain the currency of the work, while new content expands its scope and increases readability and accessibility for students of operations, quality management, and business.

For courses in Quality Management. Navigating Quality Management With A Unifying Framework Foster's Managing Quality: Integrating the Supply Chain, Sixth Edition offers students a thorough introduction to quality management by presenting a supply chain theme as the unifying framework for quality improvement. The supply chain thread enhances the integration of systems with customers, suppliers, technology, and people. The colorful, stunning text appeals to visual learners and grabs students' attention at the outset. The Sixth Edition elicits a theme of "currency" while offering updated vignettes and references to remain state-of-the-art. The new edition is selectively edited and enhanced with new content that maintains its scope and withstands pivotal points in each section. Managing Quality keeps a competitive advantage by sustaining and building on cutting edge, relevant topics in quality management.