Streamlined: 14 Principles for Building & Managing the Lean Supply Chain

If you read one book about managing your supply chain, read this book. There has been a tremendous amount of energy focused on improving efficiencies within a business organization. The results have been, at best, mixed. Streamlined: Building and Managing the Lean Supply Chain changes everything. This insightful and comprehensive book covers the activities of all businesses involved in the flow of products, services, finances, and information from the initial suppliers to the ultimate users. Presented using 14 simple, yet powerful, principles for building and managing the lean supply chain, Streamlined develops the thought process that managers need to lead their enterprises into the twenty-first century. It presents specific steps and instructions to help the manager deal with the complexities of running the business from a logistics and operations perspective. The book stresses systems thinking. It uniquely integrates two management philosophies: the theory of constraints and lean thinking, illustrating how they complement and reinforce each other to create the smooth flow of goods and services through the supply chain. Srinivasan provides candid discussions of managers tasks and responsibilities and how they may be best accomplished by applying these conceptual tools. The concepts in this book can be applied to any organization, regardless of the industry one works in. Veteran managers will gain a new perspective as they view the supply chain from a holistic approach. The 14 principles in the book are presented with common-sense explanations. Less experienced managers will benefit from the case studies that provide living examples of how each of the 14 principles has been applied successfully in practice. The summaries and conclusions throughout the book effectively reinforce the content in each chapter.