ABSTRACT
Martin Christopher and Denis Towill have written extensively on the subject in an attempt to draw the parallels and distinctions between these two different forms of supply chain management. During the late 1990s and early 2000s much airtime was given to the supply chain management debate. Some argued for ‘lean supply’ whereas others claimed an ‘agile supply chain’ was more appropriate. The principles of lean supply are based on those of lean production – the manufacturing philosophy of customer focus and efficiency of operation. In effect, the model suggests that where the demand for a standard product is predictable and certain then a lean supply chain will offer the best solution. Agile supply, as the name suggests, is based on the quick response of a supply chain to new demands. These might be in the form of new product innovations or unpredictable order volumes.
