Building Effective Value Chains: Value and Its Management

The value chain describes the actions (such as design, production, marketing, and distribution) that organizations take to bring a product from its conception to its end use (and beyond). The value chain can take place within or between firms, within a single geographic location or spread across a wide area, and can produce goods or services. Its overall goal is to create value that exceeds the cost of production/service and generates a profit margin. Building Effective Value Chains gives practical, easily understood advice on enhancing the value chains, supported by case studies. Author Tom McGuffog covers realizing value and value chain management; the optimal sequence of decisions; the value in value chain management; constructing sound value chain process and data architectures; value chain collaboration and competition; effective and integrated value chain planning; managing uncertainty; and valuable steps to success and future value chain R&D.