Supply chains exist for one reason: to create customer value. Radical changes in every aspect of business and technology have fostered the emergence of integrated "value chains" that maximize customer value by maximizing efficiency and integration. This book identifies key emerging trends and drivers in supply chain management, introduces powerful new strategies for redesigning supply chains, and presents comprehensive global case studies showing how Nortel and General Motors have transformed their own supply chains to optimize value and drive out costs. The authors begin by reviewing the state-of-the-art in supply chain management, and emerging trends that will lead to even greater change in the coming years. They show how to map an existing supply chain network, identify and integrate information flows within the organization, and find the "sweet spots" -- changes that will drive the greatest added value. They show how to enhance collaboration and trust throughout the supply chain; integrate customers and suppliers to design products that support efficient supply chains; and how to make the most of strategic cost management techniques.The book includes detailed chapters on B2B e-commerce, on creating information visibility on the Web, and finally on the key factors that lead to success in actual deployments.