Building Effective Value Chains: Value and its Management

About the Book

The value chain describes the full range of activities that firms and workers do to bring a product from its conception to its end use and beyond.

This includes activities such as design, production, marketing, distribution and support to the final consumer. Value chain activities can occur within or between firms, within a single geographical location or spread across wider areas, and can produce goods or services. The overall goal of the value chain is to create value that exceeds the cost of providing a product or service, thus generating a profit margin.

The concept of the value chain is at the early stages of a journey and many people still think conventionally. Building Effective Value Chains challenges this notion, helping people to think differently and to pursue the right goal in business.

Building Effective Value Chains gives practical, easily understood advice on enhancing the value chain, supported by case studies from the public and private sector that illustrate how the methodology can be applied to different value chains. The book also considers the commercial value of the value chain as well as the academic origins of the value chain. Author Tom McGuffog shares his knowledge and experience from working in Rowntree and Nestle, the UK Procurement Agency, the Defence Logistics Organisation, and NHS Purchasing and Supply. Taking a global perspective, the issues discussed in this book are applicable internationally.

Building Effective Value Chains includes executive summaries at the end of each chapter, useful online materials, and a comprehensive list of references.

Table of Contents:

• • Chapter - 1: REALISING VALUE AND VALUE CHAIN MANAGEMENT;
  • Chapter - 2: OVERARCHING VALUES;
  • Chapter - 3: THE OPTIMAL SEQUENCE OF DECISIONS;
  • Chapter - 4: THE VALUE IN VALUE CHAIN MANAGEMENT;
  • Chapter - 5: A REVIEW OF SOME MODERN VALUE CHAINS;
  • Chapter - 6: A QUESTION OF IDENTITY;
  • Chapter - 7: CONSTRUCTING SOUND VALUE CHAIN PROCESS AND DATA ARCHITECTURES;
  • Chapter - 8: VALUE CHAIN COLLABORATION AND COMPETITION;
  • Chapter - 9: EFFECTIVE & INTEGRATED VALUE CHAIN PLANNING;
  • Chapter - 10: MANAGING UNCERTAINTY;
  • Chapter - 11: DYNAMIC MANAGEMENT OF PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES;
  • Chapter - 12: VALUABLE STEPS TO SUCCESS & FUTURE VALUE CHAIN R&D;

About the Author :
Tom McGuffog was Executive Director at Rowntree and Nestle for Supply Chain, Purchasing, Logistics, IT and E-Business. He was also non-exec director of the UK Procurement Agency, Defence Logistics Organisation, and NHS Purchasing and Supply.

Review :
"Tom and I have discussed over many years how best to develop sharp business process and data standards whereby customers and supplies, including competitors, can best design and run modern supply chains to serve the customer more cost effectively. Most recently we have debated what we should mean by value and how best it can be realised through sound management. I trust this book will stimulate you to look afresh at your value chains." "Tom and I worked together over many years to introduce modern supply chain management into Rowntree Mackintosh and Nestle. The practical results were substantial in terms of customer service, inventory management and supplier relationships. We place particular emphasis on sound data defined in such a way as to promote effective joint management of our value chain. I commend this book for your value chains." "Professor McGuffog, a leading authority on value chain management, provides a state of the art analysis of the subject. He looks at the problems it has experienced in the past, using specific examples, and how it can be utilised to improve performance in the future in the private, public, and charitable sectors of the economy and society. It is a must read for all managers." "Tom and I have worked together over many years to develop effective management of value chains. Tom chaired the group at GS1 (formerly Article Number Association and e.centre) which developed the key standards and network for Electronic Data Interchange which have served business well for three decades. He has worked actively as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport including chairing its Value Chain Forum. This book will be essential reading for all those concerned with Value and its management."