Delivering The Goods

We often think of great battles as having been won by superior strategy, bravery, or weaponry. Often, however, the greatest battles are decided by a much more mundane factor: logistics.

In war, logistics is the art of moving supplies and reinforcements along a supply chain in order to support the war effort and keep soldiers well fed and ready to fight. For even the greatest army to achieve victory it must be properly supplied. In business, logistics is the art of moving the product or service to the customer where and when the customer needs it-to be fast enough and flexible enough to win the customer's business. The same fundamental truth that governs war also governs business: without an efficient supply chain, victory is impossible. An army without supplies cannot win wars, just as a business that fails to deliver its product on time cannot win customers. In business, as in war, superior logistics makes all the difference.

Delivering the Goods looks at business logistics through the history of successful military logistical operations undertaken by leaders from Alexander the Great to General Norman Schwarzkopf. After exploring some of the most inventive solutions ever devised for logistical problems, the authors apply the lessons learned to modern business. In the process they include real-world examples of techniques for supply chain optimization used by various organizations-from the modern U.S. Army to the computer company Sun Microsystems.

In the increasingly competitive and cost-conscious corporate environment of the next few decades, the question of delivery-how rapidly, how well, and how cheaply you deliver goods and services to the customer-will be the paramount differentiating factor for companies. In fact, one fifth or more of sales for a typical American company is represented by transportation and distribution costs, or what are essentially supply chain costs. Therefore, even a slightly more efficient delivery system can become a significant competitive advantage for large companies.

Delivering the Goods provides case studies and histories of successful logistical operations throughout history, but it also offers practical guidance on applying proven logistical principles to your business. Manage your supply chain properly, and you just might bring home the ultimate spoils of war-customers.

DAMON SCHECHTER is CEO of LOC Global, Inc., which helps corporations deal with the problems and challenges of moving goods from the factory to the marketplace to the consumer. Mr. Schechter was educated at Stanford University, from which he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and a Master of Science degree in engineering. His Web site is at www.locglobal.com.

GORDON SANDER is a writer, editor, and historian. He is a frequent contributor to the Financial Times, as well as the BBC. His articles and essays have appeared in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, and many other publications. He is the author of Serling: The Rise and Twilight of Television's Last Angry Man, which was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Mr. Sander was educated at Cornell University and has been a writer-in-residence at Cornell and other universities.