TEACHING SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT TO BUSINESS EXECUTIVES

By focusing on the management of entire value chains, supply chain management has gained increasing popularity in management research and in the teaching of global businesses. The right practices can take companies to great heights; lack of attention can draw companies close to peril. In teaching supply chain management to business executives, there are four major issues that need to be highlighted: flawless execution of operations, the change from supply to demand focus, outsourcing and supply base development, and partnership implementation. This article explains these four issues, and the material that is developed at IMD to teach each of them.