New Book Probes Supply Chain 'Greatness'

In close to three decades as a writer and editor, I’ve probably written a thousand or so articles. But I had never written a book…until now. What a difference!

My co-authors Chuck Poirier of CSC Consulting and Morgan Swink of Michigan State University and I just published a book titled Diagnosing Greatness: Ten Traits of the Best Supply Chains.  It’s the culmination of seven years of research we’ve being doing in connection with our annual Global Survey of Supply Chain progress. It’s also an expression of the collective insights and experiences of the three authors.

Essentially, through the research we were able to identify ten specific traits that differentiate the best running supply chains (and biggest contributors to revenues and cost savings) from the rest of the pack. The traits include some things that are fairly intuitive–like sound strategy supported by solid leadership and excellence in logistics execution–to some traits that might surprise a bit. Think proficiency in planning and the ability to anticipate and manage risk.

We were also able to include a series of case studies to put some color and context around the top traits. We didn’t want the book to come off as some theoretical exercise, but rather as a practical guide to excellence grounded in real-world examples.

Anyway, the process of writing Diagnosing Greatness gave me a whole new sense of appreciation for anyone who takes on the task of writing a business book–really, any book for that matter. First, there’s the conception of the story line. Then the first draft, then the second, and so on.  Now we get to final editing and checking of the sources and the graphics, and getting the whole package ready for the publisher. And just when you think you’re done, 250 pages of proofs come back to you for final review.

Well, I’m glad I did it. Fortunately for me, I had two terrific collaborators. We’re proud of the final product and think that it’s a worthwhile addition to the body of today’s supply chain literature.  Check it out at our website at:

http://www.scmr.com/article/329247-%20Supply_Chain_Management_Review_Online_Store.php