ABSTRACT
Businesses around the world spend billions every year on better products and processes. Products and services along with the supply chains that deliver them are “on the move.” They are constantly changing in new and unexpected ways. Most of the investments made in what we broadly refer to as “product development” or “operations” have at least some, and more often a lot, of impact on the supply chain. These expenditures include product research and development, systems upgrades, capital investments in brick, mortar, and equipment, and even enhancement of employee skills. Managers are faced with a myriad of choices asking, “What should I do next?”
