LORA M. CECERE is the founder of the research firm Supply Chain Insights. She is the author of the enterprise software blog Supply Chain Shaman, which attracts 5,000 readers weekly. She also writes a blog for Forbes and is a LinkedIn Influencer. Currently, Lora's research focuses on supply chain sensing and revenue management. Her supply chain experience includes specialist roles at AMR Research, Clorox, Gartner Group, Kraft, and Procter & Gamble.

How to Conquer the Effective Frontier and Drive Improved Value in Global Operations
Growth has slowed. Volatility has increased and the world is more global. Brands are defined by innovation and services. Supply chain excellence matters more than ever. It makes a difference in corporate performance.
One cannot snap their fingers and deliver supply chain success. It happens over the course of many years. It is measured in inches not miles. In this book, the author evaluates the progress of over a hundred companies over the period of 2006-2013.
Success drives value. The effective supply chain makes a difference in winning a war, saving a patient, and driving commerce; but it also makes a difference in a community having clean air, potable water, and a standard of living. Mistakes are hard to overcome. Supply Chain Metrics that Matter tells this story. The book links corporate financials to supply chain maturity. In the book, the author analyzes which metrics matter.
The author Lora M. Cecere is a supply chain researcher as well as an authority in supply chain technology. She helps companies gain first mover advantage. In the book, Cecere provides concrete, actionable steps to align and balance the supply chain to drive value. The book explores the crossover between supply chain efficiency and financial growth with topics such as:
* Outlining the metrics that matter, the metrics that don't
* Progress in industry sub-segment in improving inventory, cash, productivity and margin
* The management techniques that improve performance
* Sharing insights on how metrics change as the supply chain matures
* The roadmap to improve performance.
Today, supply chains are global and dynamic. They are rapidly evolving. Companies that constantly seek out new solutions and opportunities for improvement drive differentiation. In a market where growth is stalled and many companies are stuck in driving supply chain performance, this book provides a clear, concise framework for a more modern, effective supply chain.

Foreword xi
Preface xv
Acknowledgments xvii
Chapter 1: Starting the Journey 1
Meet Joe 4
Setting Metrics Targets 5
The Journey 6
Agility 37
Evolution 40
Conclusion 42
Notes 43
Chapter 2: Managing Metrics on the Effective Frontier 45
The Connection of Metrics to the Business Strategy 46
Managing Metrics as a Complex System 49
Using the Metrics Maturity Model to Drive Change 52
Aligning on Asset Strategies 81
Managing Change 85
Conclusion 87
Notes 88
Chapter 3: Using Value Network Strategies to Move to the Next Level on the Frontier 89
Managing What You Can't Control 90
Building the Guiding Coalition 132
Educating the Organization to Take the First Step 133
Conclusion 139
Notes 139
Chapter 4: A Strategy Session on Managing Value Networks 141
Addressing Organizational Tensions 142
The Strategy Day 154
The Journey: Becoming Market-Driven 169
Risk Management: A Catalyst for Driving Balance and Resiliency? 171
Can Corporate Social Responsibility Be an Impetus to Drive
Alignment and Build Market-Driven Value Networks? 176
Sales and Operations Planning to Drive Balance and Resiliency 180
Moving to the Next Level of the Effective Frontier 186
Conclusion 188
Notes 188
Chapter 5: What Drives Value in the Value Network?: Industry Progress in Consumer Value Chains 189
The Questions 190
Leveling the Playing Field 193
The Supply Chain Index 195
The Consumer Value Chain Journey 196
Wrapping Up the Strategy Workshop 235
Conclusion 237
Notes 237
Chapter 6: What Drives Value in the Value Network?: Industry Progress in the Health-Care Value
Chain 239
What Is Value? 242
Who Is the Customer? 248
Where Are We Headed? 250
The Health-Care Value Chain 253
Hospitals 259
Pharmaceutical Industry 267
Medical Device Manufacturers 278
Conclusion 283
Notes 284
Chapter 7: What Drives Value in the Value Network?: Industry Progress in the Industrial Value Chain 285
Understanding the Industrial Value Network 296
High-Tech and Electronics 300
Semiconductor Industry 310
Conclusion 320
Notes 321
Chapter 8: What Drives Value in the Value Network?: Industry Progress in the Automotive Value
Chain 323
Automotive Progress on the Index 325
Review of the Automotive Industry 329
Moving Forward with Project Orbit 346
Notes 350
Chapter 9: The Smoke Clears 351
Reflections 353
Joe's Story 354
Reflections 363
Appendix: The Methodology 365
About the Author 371
Index 373