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. -- Provided by publisher

Introduction -- Steve Jobs and supply chain -- Need for supply chain revolution -- Zara's supply chain advantage -- TJX's sourcing advantage -- About the author's work -- Book -- Change management -- pt. I. Increase revenue with help from supply chain and sourcing --

1.

Drive customer satisfaction -- through excellent service -- Benefiting from excellent service -- Amazon's customer service advantage -- Best Buy's challenges with customer service -- Increasing service levels -- Tailoring service level by customer segment -- Developing a competitive edge -- Getting customers to pay for increased service -- Improving service with the help of supply chain --

2.

Boost revenue with supply chain -- Airbus supply chain advantage -- Rise of Boeing -- Innovation and supply chain -- Airbus enters the market -- Boeing plays catch-up -- Making customization a reality -- Influence upstream R & D process -- Segment supply chain by demand pattern -- Enabling global sourcing -- Moving to demand-driven planning -- Boosting revenue with supply chain --

3.

Amplify alliance performance with sourcing -- Alliances can make or break a company -- Art of alliance -- Starbucks style -- Nokia's failure to embrace alliances -- Sourcing's involvement in alliances -- Making alliances successful with sourcing -- pt. II. Reduce business risk through efficient operations --

4.

Debottleneck the supply chain and reduce risk -- Business risks from supply chain -- Benefits of debottlenecking supply chain -- Supply chain challenges at the Department of Defense (DoD) -- Supply chain complexity -- Reducing nonmoving inventory -- Simplifying ordering -- Streamlining the supply chain -- Simplifying delivery -- Simplifying planning -- Simplifying new product introduction -- Simplifying internal organization alignment -- Simplifying engagement with suppliers -- Fixing supply chain bottlenecks --

5.

Increase retail success by managing store investment -- Store investment and retail success -- Retail industry evolution -- Store investment -- Macy's challenges with store investment -- Costco's approach -- Evaluating store investment -- Reducing store costs -- Simplifying store development -- Driving retail success with sourcing -- pt. III. Improve profitability from areas that are currently out of scope for sourcing organizations --

6.

Enhance marketing efficiency -- Evolving expectations from marketing -- Marketing by Coca-Cola -- Sourcing organizations' challenges with marketing -- Lever Brothers' vs. Procter & Gamble's approach to marketing efficiency -- Measuring marketing performance -- Marketing -- complex services -- Creative agencies -- Media buying -- Direct marketing -- Market research -- Implementing marketing efficiency program --

7.

Smart real estate outsourcing -- Need for smart outsourcing -- Facilities outsourcing at Procter & Gamble -- Cost savings vs. cost reduction -- Trends -- Facilities outsourcing: Transitioning toward full service -- Failing to achieve cost reductions -- Evolving customer expectations -- Swinging of the pendulum: decline of IFM -- Disrupting industry -- short-and-long-term trends -- Enabling cost reduction with technology -- Making smart outsourcing a reality -- pt. IV. Drive business excellence with help from sourcing --

8.

Source excellence -- Excellence -- utopia or reality? -- Apple helping AT & T Wireless achieve excellence -- Other examples -- Involving sourcing in excellence -- Defining excellence -- 360 triangulation -- Supplier workshops -- Sourcing excellent solutions -- Making excellence a reality -- Conclusion -- HP's struggle -- Private equity industry challenges -- Sustainable competitive advantange for diversified companies -- Improving lives -- A final word