This book is targeted toward an academic as well as a practitioner audience. On the academic side, it is appropriate for MBA students, engineering master’s students, and senior undergraduate stu-dents interested in supply chain management and logistics. It can also serve as a suitable reference for both concepts as well as providing a methodology for practitioners in consulting and industry.
The seventh edition has focused on changes that enhance students’ ability to sharpen their critical think-ing and data analytics skills as they study with the book. All concepts discussed in the book are linked to strategic decision making in a supply chain, and all quantitative ideas are illustrated using spreadsheets that can be implemented in practice. Some specific changes in the seventh edition include:
. The link between supply chain decisions and the financial performance of a firm is developed in detail in Chapter 3.
. The concepts underlying the design of distribution networks are illustrated in the context of omni-channel retailing in Chapter 4. The evolution of retailing is used throughout the book to illustrate the link between supply chain concepts and strategic decision making in a supply chain.
. Each section of each chapter in the book is associated with a clearly identified learning objective that is summarized at the end of the section.
. We have added new mini-cases in Chapters 5, 8, and 15. Information in other cases has been updated to be current.
. New exercises have been added in several chapters.
. For all numerical examples discussed in the book, we have developed spreadsheets that students can use to understand the concept at a deeper level. These spreadsheets are referred to in the book and allow the student to try different “what-if” analyses. These spreadsheets are available at www.pearsonhighered.com/chopra along with basic guidance on how they may be created and used.
. We have continued to add current examples throu