ABSTRACT
In the entry, cost is treated as a consequence of supply chain design. The entry addresses the allure of cost as a target of management attention. It also asks the question when cost should be considered “strategic” and when it should not. The entry also introduces the core root causes of supply chain cost — lack of clarity, variability, product design, incomplete information sharing, weak links, and unintended circumstances. Other entry describe solutions to these root causes in greater detail.
