Chain Reaction: How Today?s Best Companies Manage Their Supply Chains for Superior Performance

The rise of Wal-Mart, Dell, IKEA, IBM, UPS, and FedEx has changed the way consumers and businesses function in America. Chain Reaction takes a look at the successes of these companies and shows how these very different businesses have all come to the same basic plan, leading them to become dominant in their industry.

In Chain Reaction, Robert Malone argues that success in business is based upon an aggressive and intelligent supply chain strategy. He contends that the most effective business logistics today allow a business to manufacture, distribute, and sell on demand, and he shows in detail how superpower companies have mastered the strategy. This is a change from the historical “push” strategy – manufacturing and marketing as many products as possible and pushing them to the wholesaler, retailer and consumer to a “pull” strategy. This new demand-driven and synchronized supply chain is tailored for the new and aggressive business practice of the future.

It's a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the companies profiled in the book, as well as anyone who loves to know how things work.