Managing Global Supply Chains: Contemporary Global Challenges in Supply Chain Management

What are the key factors affecting global supply chains today and how can we manage them? Starting from the concept that ’there is no point driving a Ferrari in a traffic jam’, Ron Basu provides practical tools and techniques of good supply chain management to add value, deliver cost reduction and improve customer satisfaction.

This new edition specifically focuses on seven contemporary challenges that have affected global supply chain management. Recent disruptions to global supply chains created by COVID-19 and the Ukraine conflict have resulted in significant geographical shifts in supply and demand. High inflation and the cost of living crisis have, in turn, created problems for finely-tuned global supply chains. The economic and business environment has also become more demanding, due in part to political pressures including nationalism and Brexit: for example, supply chain pressures caused by Brexit have resulted in increased red tape. Other factors have had a gradual and positive effect, such as climate change initiatives, Industry 4.0 and the digital revolution. The issues that affect the performance of global supply chains are sometimes interrelated, but all of them really matter because businesses have become increasingly global. This book addresses these challenges and explores how to deal with them. In addition, there are new and updated chapters on lean and agile supply chains, e-business, emerging markets, sustainability and green issues, global supply chains for services and event management, retail management and major project management.

Managing Global Supply Chains is a practical and highly readable text with real-life examples and excellent coverage. It is an ideal companion for post-experience business students, learning professionals and anyone interested in supply chain management.

Ron Basu is Director of Performance Excellence Limited and a Visiting Executive Fellow at Henley Business School, University of Reading, UK. He is also a Visiting Professor at SKEMA Graduate School of Management, France.
The late J. Nevan Wright was a Lecturer in Supply Chain Management and Operations Management and was formally MBA Director for the Auckland Institute of Studies and an Associate Professor at Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand.