Global Supply Chains ― Evaluating Regions on an Epic Framework: Economy, Politics, Infrastructure, and Competence

This timely guide reviews key strategic environmental characteristics in eight global regions to aid managers in making global supply chain management decisions.

Global Supply Chain Management Assessment defines and explains the conceptual dimensions of GSCM and identifies the characteristics of those dimensions in eight distinct regions of the world, including:

1. North America
2. South America
3. Western Europe
4. Central and Eastern Europe
5. The Middle East
6. East Asia
7. South Asia
8. Africa

The book provides a new framework developed by the authors to measure and assess the level of maturity of a geographic region. The framework, which is denoted as the EPIC dimensional analysis, measures and assesses the maturity of geographic regions according to its level of economic, political, infrastructural, and cultural/competency activity and provides guidance on how to assess a supply chain in the region based on its position along the EPIC dimensions.

• Contributors from each region are featured in the book
• Introduces the EPIC dimensional analysis for measuring and assessing the maturity of each geographical region according to its level of economic, political, infrastructural, and cultural/competency activities
• Uses case studies to trace the path of a product from raw material to finished product, such as rubber from a tree in Brazil becoming a tire on a car
• Affiliated web site with matrix for each region, annual white papers, and more
• Eliminates the need for a company to send talent to a region before understanding the challenges it may present

Philippe-Pierre Dornier, Ph.D., is Professor of Operations Management at ESSEC Business School where he teaches supply chain and operations management in the MBA, Specialized Masters, and Executive Education programs, and is Associate Dean for the Executive program. Dr. Dornier is co-author of Supply Chain Management and Global Logistic (Editions d'organisation), Global Operations and Logistics (Wiley). He is managing partner of Newton Vaureal Consulting and has been in charge of the re-engineering of global logistic networks for large companies.

Kenneth J. Petersen, Ph.D., is the John H. Dove Professor of Logistics in the Marketing and Logistics Department at the University of Tennessee and Visiting Senior Fellow at Manchester Business School in Manchester, England. His research interests include buyer-supplier relationships, new product development, sustainability, global sourcing and supply chain risk.

Mandyam M. ("Srini") Srinivasan, Ph.D., is The Pilot Corporation Chair of Excellence at The University of Tennessee. He is the author Building Lean Supply Chains with the Theory of Constraints and Streamlined: 14 Principles for Building and Managing the Lean Supply Chain.

Theodore P. (Ted) Stank is the Harry and Vivienne Bruce Chair of Excellence in Business in the Department of Marketing and Logistics at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He is author of over 80 articles in academic and professional journals and co-author of 21st Century Logistics: Making Supply Chain Integration a Reality and Handbook of Global Supply Chain Management. Dr. Stank was named a Logistics Rainmaker by DC Velocity magazine and serves on the Board of Directors of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals.