We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • SUBMISSIONS
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • CSCMP EDGE 2023
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • CSCMP EDGE 2023
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
Home » It's about time
Forward Thinking

It's about time

December 12, 2007
Supply Chain Quarterly Staff
No Comments

Back when most people were hailing quality as the definitive source of competitive advantage, George Stalk had another idea: Although cost and quality matter, the real key to success is time.

Stalk, author of Competing Against Time, still thinks so today, as he notes in this excerpt from an interview with Group Editorial Director Mitch Mac Donald.

Q: What distinguishes one company's supply chain from another in terms of competitive advantage?

A: First and foremost is that the CEO has to know he's in charge of the supply chain. The companies doing the best job of competing on the basis of their supply chain are the ones where the guy at the top knows that and everybody who works for him knows that.

Second, people are measured on system performance, not on individual functional performance. Success in a functional silo, like achieving lower transportation costs, is all well and good, but what are the ramifications? Is it causing problems in other parts of the company or hurting the bottom line?

Third, they understand time and are hell-bent on taking time out of the system. The objective has to be taking time out of all steps in the chain. It might be the hardest part of improving the supply chain because you've got to start changing things—factories, lot sizes, shipment sizes, and so on.

If you give me two companies, both the same size, but one with great merchandise and a lousy supply chain and one with mediocre merchandise and a great supply chain, the one with the … great supply chain will win every time. They can just react faster.

Note: To read the complete interview with George Stalk, which originally appeared in DC Velocity (December 2007), click here.

    • Related Articles

      Redesigning your global supply chain? Be smart about it

      It’s time for a consumer-focused supply chain

      It's time to recognize your supply chain hero

    Recent Articles by Supply Chain Quarterly Staff

    Logistics Plus arranges gas pipe delivery to war-torn Ukraine

    Raising temperatures of cold storage warehouses would cut emissions, Lineage says

    Schneider Electric aims to decarbonize the semiconductor supply chain

    You must login or register in order to post a comment.

    Report Abusive Comment

    Most Popular Articles

    • Walmart to open fifth “next-gen” fulfillment center in 2026

    • 53% of procurement leaders expect to increase their spending in 2024

    • U.S. faces permanent labor shortage, says University of Tennessee economist

    • Pepsi exec highlights four key structural changes in the supply chain

    • What skills will you need in the Age of AI?

    Featured Video

    Edge2023 innovationtheater here technologies

    CSCMP EDGE 2023 Innovation Theater: Enabling Peak Performance in Last-Mile Delivery Through Private Mapping and Custom Routing - HERE Technologies

    CSCMP EDGE 2023
    At HERE Technologies, we understand the hypercompetitive world of e-commerce, retail, and parcel delivery is increasing in complexity every day. End customers demand ever-increasing delivery performance levels regarding on-time arrivals, flexibility in delivery schedules, pricing and payment options, and more....

    FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

    • Balancing Act: How Freight Brokers Help Shippers Navigate Uncertainty

    • Quarterly Freight Data Report: Q3 2023

    • A Brighter Future: How COVID-19 Continues to Change Freight Procurement Strategies for the Better

    • Five questions to ask before electrifying your indoor forklift fleet

    View More

    Subscribe to Supply Chain Quarterly

    Get Your Subscription
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • E-NEWSLETTERS
    • ADVERTISING
    • CUSTOMER CARE
    • CONTACT
    • ABOUT
    • STAFF
    • PRIVACY POLICY

    Copyright ©2023. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing