How has the global supply chain been affected by the world's shift toward globalization? How has the supply chain been affected by the widespread adoption of the Internet, the advent of e-commerce, the development of new software, and by international developments such as NAFTA, the euro and the WTO? This book charts the evolution of the supply chain toward a more customer-oriented and flexibly designed mode, with the customizing of products and services to meet specific customer requirements and with outsourcing, strategic partnerships and the integration of operations. Schary and Skjott-Larsen have fully updated their first edition, giving readers of this new edition not only an overview of the conceptual foundations of the global supply chain, but also a welter of examples that show supply chains are not only a new way to supply markets but have become the core of corporate strategy itself. The concepts the authors introduce include that of the supply chain as a process-a series of activities that can either be performed internally or out-sourced to partner organizations.In their analysis of inter-organizational relations, they build on transaction cost analysis and network theory and examine how processes begin with distribution and follow the decision process through production to procurement of materials. A separate section on management and strategy examines organizational forms and management tools and the authors conclude by considering likely future developments in supply chain operations and its interaction with corporate strategy.