In today's difficult economy it is essential that all business operations improve their efficiency and cost-effectiveness by optimising all of the internal and external resources available to them. Collaboration, integration, partnership and mutual actions all help to create a process which will yield the maximum benefits for every player in the process and, notably, the end user. Value Chain Management involves optimising net added value for the consumer, and for each of the participants in the chain, from beginning to end, through enhancing speed, certainty, safety and security of service at a low total cost, and at understood and accepted levels of risk.
In 2007 the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (UK) formed its Value Chain Forum and, on behalf of the group, CILT has now published Value Chain Management - Developing a More Valuable and Certain Future - an 83 page book which provides a guide to taking advantage of the benefits available from utilising improved value chain management techniques.
The book describes and discusses the benefits of the establishment of a value chain comprising of all of the available internal and external resources - human, physical, financial and information - that require to be marshalled and managed in order to achieve the objectives of any organisation.
Case studies review how present operations are working, or can be improved, and the book's ten chapters include examination of decision making, planning, construction, integration, project management and evaluation as well as considering problems and their elimination.
CILT Vice-President Jim Spittle says: 'My experience in retailing, supply chain and in global standards for item recognition and inter-business communications confirms time and again that we must take an end-to-end view of how best to achieve our objectives cost effectively. I therefore welcome this volume on value chain management which I am confident will aid substantially both private and public organisations'.
The new publication has been written by Tom McGuffog, Barry Evans, Peter Jordan, Jeremy Clarke, Nick Wadsley and the CILT Value Chain Forum.
The book is available to purchase for £25.00 plus £3.00 postage per copy. To order call Tel: +44(0)1536 740123 or email: bookshop@ciltuk.org.uk