Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book at hand discusses two of the most prominent business functions: marketing and supply chain management. A holistic approach is proposed, through the systemic survey of the theoretical background and the respective attributes that constitute the context for the fields above. The contribution is solidified under an integrated prism, instead of a self-directive and isolated study of the aforementioned key areas. The book promotes the idea that for an expanding economy its overall development requires the integration of both paradigms. In the literature there are many textbooks which are focused on either marketing or supply chain management. It also examines these disciplines/business areas via an integrated approach providing specific practices and techniques based on the well-known philosophies and state-of-the-art technologies.