ABSTRACT
New supply-chain initiatives inundated the marketplace in the past decade, starting with just-in-time inventory management to collaborative product commerce (see Table 2.1). Supply-chain programs launched have been successful in saving billions of dollars for a large number of companies though such programs failed to achieve optimal results for some companies (Koch, 2004). Successful supply-chain initiatives can make it possible for companies to meet customer needs more quickly, less expensively, and through more channels. Better-quality and more reliable goods can reach the market sooner. Mass-customized products and services can become a reality (McVey and Cundiff, 2005; Ertek and Griffin, 2002; Koch, 2002; Iyer and Bergen, 1997).
