Managing Supply Chain Technology: Bridging the Gap Between the Supply Chain and the Technology That Supports it

Why do so many corporate executives feel they have not received an adequate return on their investment in supply chain technology? Why are most IT executives frustrated with the confused and mixed messages they receive from the business functions their technologies support? "Managing Supply Chain Technology" uniquely bridges the gap between the business and the technology of the supply chain. That gap results from differences in professional objectives, vocabulary, training, and experience - and it costs businesses millions annually. Using highly relevant business and technology examples, the authors rely on their many years of experience to examine the whole supply chain - the underlying policies, practices, procedures, and systems - offering concrete ways to improve the value that this increasingly important operation brings to business. "Managing Supply Chain Technology" covers not only the benefits of acronym-heavy solutions like CRM, RFID, and ERP, but also how to implement them. Implementing an ERP badly is relatively easy; getting it right is another matter. This book spans the full breadth of the supply chain - from what your customer wants (which should drive what you buy) to why you don't know when the warranty runs out on your notebook computer. Designed for executives in charge of setting the direction for any facet of the supply chain, those responsible for any technology that supports it, and their entire teams, this book is also applicable to the newest purchasing agents and database administrators.

About the Author :
Jack Garrett is the president of Garrett Business Technology, LLC in Alamo, California. He has more than thirty years' experience in the collection, storage, analysis, and delivery of information. An experienced manager of technical professionals, he has managed the design, delivery, implementation, and support of information systems with tens of thousands of online users. For more than a decade he has focused on the unique issues around technology and the supply chain. Steven Shepard is the founder of the Shepard Communications Group in Williston, Vermont, specializing in international issues in telecommunications with an emphasis on strategic technical sales; services convergence; the social implications of technological change; the development of multilingual educational materials; and the effective use of multiple delivery media. With twenty-five years of varied experience in the telecommunications industry, he has written books and articles on a wide variety of topics. His books include: Telecommunications Convergence, How to Profit from the Convergence of Technologies, Services and Companies, IMS Demystified, and RFID Demystified.