A COMPARISON OF TWO BOOKS ON THE SUBJECT OF SUPPLY CHAIN
(1) DESIGNING AND MANAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN By DAVID SIMCHI-LEVI ET AL
(2) E-SUPPLY CHAIN By CHARLES C. POIRIER ET AL
The two books have a fundamental difference in their approach to supply chain management. Essentially, Simchi-Levi describes what in place now, that is the current utilization of concepts that may be considered "historic" in their usage. On the other hand, Poirier, leads us into the Internet world of e-commerce, explains what will be the future (or at least what should be) for an effective supply chain system. While Simchi-Levi, still dealing with what is "now", tends to consider the importance of inventory control above all else, while Poirier discusses that as simply one among many supply chain factors. There are both wide as well as subtle differences in the approach to supply management, but both books agree that supply chain management has now become essential for business growth and profitability. Simchi-Levi, in effect, takes more time defining supply chain fundamentals, elaborating on the intricacies of conflicting objectives and dynamics that can stymie even the cleverest and best-intentioned efforts to implement modern and systematic supply chain management. On the other hand, Poirier starts with the indispensability of the supply chain as a given and seeks to demonstrate the necessity of building upon that to develop a truly systematized network in which the Internet plays a large, if not the largest, role.
Both books dwell in their opening chapters on specifics of the supply chain itself and of supply chain modification and design. Poirier develops the rationale of a nucleus firm, which he explains is " a company that assumes the central role in bringing an external orientation to a supply chain and solicits the help of willing business partners on either side of the chain, so a full network can be generated." (p. 4)
Poirier desig...