ABSTRACT

The business environment in North America has become increasingly competitive in recent years, with markets becoming ever less tolerant of companies that do not regularly create measurable value. In response, companies have been engaged in an intensive search for value inside their organizations and have a desire to refocus all aspects of their operations to align with their overall corporate strategies. This has led to a re-evaluation of the role of supply chains. Traditionally, supply chains were seen only as a cost to be minimized; with this re-evaluation, supply chains are being tied to overall company strategy and their potential to create value in ways other than cost reduction is being recognized.