 Best value supply chains: A key competitive weapon for the 21st centuryDavid Ketchen, William Rebarick, G. Tomas M. Hult and David Meyer Business Horizons, 2008, vol. 51, issue 3, 235-243 Abstract: All executives would like their organizations to perform better, and most seek ways to make that happen. This paper focuses on how supply chains -- the series of activities through which products and services are created and then distributed to customers -- can enhance firm performance. For the last couple of decades, most firms have emphasized maximizing speed or minimizing costs within their supply chains. In the current business landscape, however, a broader approach is needed. We describe the main advantages of developing best value supply chains as a tool for enhancing performance. These chains differ from traditional chains in important ways. Best value supply chains are used by organizations as a central element of strategy, not simply as a means to move materials. Rather than focusing primarily on speed or cost, best value supply chains are designed to deliver superior total value to the customer in terms of speed, cost, quality, and flexibility. Our contention is that organizations that develop best value supply chains will enhance their performance. We support this contention with examples from leading firms that reflect a best value approach. Date: 2008 Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:bushor:v:51:y:2008:i:3:p:235-243 Access Statistics for this article Business Horizons is currently edited by C. M. Dalton More articles in Business Horizons from Elsevier |
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