Global Logistics: New Directions in Supply Chain Management

by Donald Waters

The field of logistics continues to develop at a remarkable pace. Until recently, logistics was barely considered in the long-term plans of even major companies, but its strategic role is now recognized and it lies at the heart of long-term plans in almost every business. There are many reasons for this communications and information technology are offering new oppotunities; world trade is growing; competition is forcing operations to adopt new practices and become ever more efficient; and there is increasing concern for the environment. Add to this the increased emphasis on customer satisfaction, flexible operations and time compression, and it becomes clear why it is so important for organizations to get their logistics right.
From a truly international perspective, Global logistics provides a wealth of useful ideas and practival information on all the current and future trends in logistics and supply chain management. Written by a host of contributors who are acknowledged experts in their fields, this fully updated sixth edition focuses on areas of particular current interest, logistics in China, and Central and Eastern Europe; the improvement of communications and technology; humanitarian supply chains; internet trading; agile supply chains; performance measurement.
Global Logistics is an invaluable source of guidance and practical advice for students, managers and practitioners alike, who will find it an essential tool they can refer to again and again.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business

536 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2007

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't understand how come there is at least a 7th edition of this book. But maybe supply chain management is just talking nonsense and the technical real-life issues of how goods are transported are addressed in another field.

[Jason Tonkovic · Rating 3 out of 5]

This title is well organized and offers a glimpse into general logistics trends. Decent read for someone looking to broaden horizons outside of their current service or focus area in the field. I found an abundance of strategic reasoning, backed by a few commercial examples supporting chapter ideas. The real-world application principles were slightly lacking, but the statement cases provided useful alternative viewpoints.

A good introductory primer that embraces wider interconnectivity within supply chains. Particularly Chapter 6 defining agile operations. I am always a proponent of agile methods, and one statement concerning misalignment stood out to me:
"How this often happens is that research and development (R&D) wants to innovate and expand product ranges, sales wants to create more opportunities to sell, while supply chain and operations want to avoid margin reductions from cost of complexity in operations. A lack of process integration leads to uncontrolled efforts disconnected from market opportunity."

That can very well hold true no matter what business you are in.