Book Review
No boundaries - Break through to supply chain excellence
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Author:
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James A Tompkins, PhD
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Publisher:
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Tompkins Press |
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ISBN:
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1-930426-04-6
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Pages:
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221 - Hard Cover
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Businesses must achieve supply chain excellence to survive in today’s intensely competitive environment, but they cannot wish their way to success. In this book, leading supply chain consultant James A Tompkins PhD explains the stages that businesses and supply chains must pass through to achieve the pinnacle of success.
The levels of supply chain excellence – from ‘business as usual’ to ‘velocity’ – form a ladder that supply chains must climb to beat the competition. Tompkins explains what characterises each level, as well as the technology that is associated with each stage, and what prepares enterprises to move up to the next level.
As they move through the levels, companies perfect their own operations, link with supply chain partners, and synthesise their supply chains to have ‘no boundaries’ and to ultimately focus on the only point that matters – the final customer.
This volume, thoroughly updated from Tompkins’ original introduction to supply chain synthesis, includes specific discussions of synthesis for manufacturers and distributors and details the core competencies required for supply chain excellence. No matter where an organisation is on the ladder to the top of its industry, it can benefit from this straightforward explanation of the world in which its business operates today.
Reviews
Reviewers who have analysed the publication include Ladd C Brittain, who describes it as ‘an excellent book’ that provides easy-to-understand information on how the topic of supply chain excellence’ can be managed in a meaningful manner.
Brittain expands on how, according to Tompkins, supply chain excellence is comprised of a number of levels: business as usual; linked excellence; visibility; collaboration; synthesis; and velocity.
“Written at a level that can be easily interpreted by most readers, this is a book that should be read by anyone interested in learning more about the importance that the supply chain has on the success or failure of a company,” according to Brittain.
What makes this book unique, he says, is that the author views traditional supply chain management (SCM) as being nothing more than an approach to solve high inventory, high costs, and growing customer dissatisfaction. Tompkins’ opinion of SCM is an approach that is usually implemented by companies who expect immediate results but who usually fail to achieve the desired results for the simple fact that they fail to identify and eliminate the boundaries that are preventing success.
Only by eliminating boundaries, building partnerships with suppliers, and uniting all partners to focus on satisfying the customer, will companies achieve supply chain excellence. According to Brittain, although the author presents a very good argument for his opinions, advancing through the six levels is much more difficult in reality than the author would have one believe. The author isn’t trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes, he says, Tompkins is merely a consultant who isn’t about to give away the keys to the kingdom for free so there is not a lot of ‘in the trenches’ information in this book. When consultants write books they provide just enough information to arouse the reader’s attention as their primary goal is to secure consulting contracts. “There is nothing wrong with this but I want any potential buyers to understand that there are only 221 pages in the book so they will not be experts on this subject once they have finished reading the book.” For those individuals who have an interest in supply chain or business topics, this book is well worth the money and Brittain highly recommends it.
Excellent start
Ralph M Cox believes ‘No Boundaries’ is both an excellent guide from which to start to understand the concept of a supply chain and a good, thought-provoking book. Much of the world is still struggling to extricate organisations from the merely functional, vertical silos that have characterised so many companies in the past. Today companies have developed into functioning horizontally from customer needs to product development and to supply management, with demand management and customer satisfaction the next logical steps. Tompkins, according to Cox, has already gone one very big step further.
‘No Boundaries’ is an excellent conceptual framework for beginning to understand extending horizontal operations from a company’s suppliers’ suppliers to its customers’ customers. It outlines the ideal as well as the issues that must be dealt with to get there. Six stages of supply chain evolution are defined (many firms have not yet completed step one), all auguring well both for now and the future. This book is highly recommended!
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