Technology plays a key role in enabling lean and agile supply chain operations. For example, connecting to suppliers in real-time facilitates re-supplying parts and materials for a just-in-time production environment. But choosing the wrong technology can create waste in terms of the time, effort, and money spent evaluating, selecting, implementing, and using it.
Furthermore, lean has been traditionally thought of as a "pen and pencil" technique as they were mostly confined to a single facility. As a consequence, while there are many books written on lean manufacturing, lean office, and, to a lesser degree, lean global supply chain, most if not all barely discuss the role and impact of technology in process improvement, and there aren’t many books that combine the topics of a lean and agile supply chain and technology (smart and otherwise) in this way.
This book makes the case that technology is a key enabler of a lean supply chain and is unique in that it links lean and agile thinking with available and affordable technologies to get the most out of improved processes.
Essentially, this book details various supply chain and logistics management areas where lean and agile thinking in combination with existing and emerging technologies such as the Internet, e-commerce, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, Robotics, IoT, AI, and Data Analytics can take an organization to the next level through increased speed, accuracy, integration, and collaboration among all parties in the supply chain.
Table of Contents:
Part I: Introduction Chapter 1 – Supply Chain and Technology: A Smart Combination Chapter 2 – Supply Chain, Technology and Their Growing Importance to Business and Society Chapter 3 – The Smart, Digital Supply Chain Chapter 4 – Lean Concepts and Their Applications in the Supply Chain Chapter 5 – The Software and Hardware Sourcing Process Part II: Supply Chain Software Systems Chapter 6 – Supply Chain Software Systems: Plan Chapter 7 – Supply Chain Software Systems: Source Chapter 8 – Supply Chain Software Systems: Make Chapter 9 – Supply Chain Software Systems: Deliver Chapter 10 – Supply Chain Software Systems: Return Part III: Supply Chain Equipment Chapter 11 – Supply Chain Equipment: Distribution Centers and Warehousing Chapter 12 – Supply Chain Equipment: Transportation Part IV: Integration of Technology Chapter 13 – Integration and Collaboration Chapter 14 – Internet of Things (IoT) and Real-Time Visibility Part V: Supply Chain Analytics, Decision Support Systems, and Other Leading-Edge Technologies Chapter 15 –Decision Support Systems and Supply Chain Analytics Chapter 16 – Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Blockchain, and Robotics Part VI: The Smart(er), Living Supply Chain that is Yet to Come Chapter 17 – Emerging Technologies and Their Impact on the Extended Supply Chain in the Coming Years References
