Supply chain management, both in industry and in academia, has grown rapidly over the past several years mainly due to an increase in corporate goals of reducing manufacturing costs and the savings that come from planning and managing the supply chain effectively. Most textbooks do not include models and decision support systems robust enough for industry. "Designing and Managing the Supply Chain: Concepts, Strategies, and Cases, 2nd Edition" by Simchi-Levy, Kaminsky and Simchi-Levi discusses the problems, models and concepts derived from issues related to effective supply chain management. This text is suitable for both academic study and practicing professionals. While many core supply chain management issues are interrelated, the authors have tried to make each chapter as self-contained as possible so that the reader can refer directly to chapters covering topics of interest. Each chapter utilizes case studies and numerous examples. Mathematical and technical sections can be skipped without loss of continuity. The accompanying CD-ROM also provides two simulations, the Computerized Beer Game and the Risk Pool Game, and a computerized tool, new to this edition, for developing and executing supply chain contracts. These packages help illustrate many of the concepts discussed.
