Another book on turning supply chain processes into competitive advantage?

Is that really needed?

Yes.

Because most companies today have the tools, but they are not using them well.

Ollie often used a golf analogy. You can have the best clubs money can buy, but if you cannot hit the ball, they are not going to do you much good. Similarly, you can have the best or most expensive software (they are not the same), but if people do not understand and know how to use the approaches explained in this book, it will not do you much good.

This is not unique to companies. The best safety device in aviation is a proficient crew at the controls.

It is now recognized that “Hard (numbers, plans) is Soft. Soft (people, relationships) is Hard.”

For these reasons, one of the recurring themes throughout this book is the “soft” or people side of what it takes for you and your people to understand how to apply these approaches to your business.

Second only to people in importance is the accuracy of your information; specifically inventory records, bills of material, routings, and item information. While less exciting than a new algorithm, good accurate data is the bedrock. So, you'll see this as another recurring theme.

Another theme that runs through the book is the need for integration; stand‐alone processes, functions, and people will never deliver their full potential until they are fully integrated and working together to achieve the desired direction and goals.

Businesses change, and when that happens, people have to understand how to revise what they have to do to take advantage of that change. This requires big‐picture understanding like a pilot, not “more of the same” training. Unfortunately, in many companies, new people never really see the big picture and just do what the previous person in their job did.

Management is always looking for the silver bullet that will solve all of their problems. A new software feature or features that promise to solve a problem is more appealing than behavior change and data accuracy.

As Oliver Wight said many times, people and their behaviors are first, processes and accuracy are second, and tools such as software are third because you need to know what to specify before authorizing often huge investments.