Notable changes occurring in the global marketplace since the publication of the first three editions of this book (1982, 1987, and 1993) have included e-commerce and widespread use of the Internet, growth of supply chain management, a continued explosion of computer and information technology worldwide, development of 24-hour markets with many organizations operating worldwide, and a continued corporate emphasis on quality and customer satisfaction. Trade agreements such as North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), European Union, ASEAN and Mercosur have enabled corporations to implement regional, if not entirely global, logistics strategies.The fourth edition of "Strategic Logistics Management" has been significantly expanded to reflect these and the many other changes that have occurred, as well as to include state-of-the-art logistics information and technology. The basic tenets of the previous editions have been retained, but new material has been added to make the book more managerial, integrative, and "cutting edge." "Strategic Logistics Management" is still the only text that takes a marketing orientation and views the subject from a customer satisfaction perspective. While emphasizing the marketing aspects of logistics, it integrates all of the functional areas of the business as well as incorporating logistics into supply chain management. This book has been extensively revised and updated in the areas of technology, global coverage, and transportation. This book features brand new chapters on Supply Chain Management (Ch 2) and Measuring and Selling the Value of Logistics (Ch 17).
A number of important topics not covered in many other logistics texts, or covered only superficially, are given significant treatment in this book, including: supply chain management, measuring and selling the value of logistics, order processing and management information systems; e-commerce and the Internet; reverse logistics and packaging; financial control of logistics performance; logistics organizations; and global logistics. Our goal in covering these topics in addition to the traditional activities is to provide readers with a grasp of the total picture of logistics within the context of supply chain management processes.
There are a number of worthwhile improvements in the fourth edition. We have included many more references and examples from general business and other literature because of the impact of logistics on a variety of business processes. This edition covers the academic and trade literature in the area of logistics extensively, and includes the most up-to-date information and examples. Readers will notice the significant number of citations from the year 2000. We have retained those elements that are "timeless" and those that made the previous editions successful.
