ABSTRACT
As noted at the end of the previous chapter, having spent all this time designing and manufacturing the product, it would appear obvious that the next step is to place the aforementioned product into the hands of those who will sell, and then buy, the product. However, this also appears to be a difficult step for many companies. The number of times a potential purchaser visits a retail outlet to buy, only to find the required item is not in stock, the waiting list is huge, and sitting there is another product, just as good, from a competitor, and just waiting to be bought. This aspect of the global supply chain is not just about mainstream manufacturing: health care is part of this environment, as is education, services and so on. Indeed any organisation that requires equipment, consumables, medicines, reams of paper and other supplies will know of the impact of slow delivery and the consequent effect of high levels of inventory just to protect against such poor levels of service.
