This book describes the concept of flow, which evokes physical properties that exist in nature, such as the flow of electricity, the flow of time, and the flow of materials. In terms of process optimization, flow encompasses the integration of end-to-end supply chains and the movement towards relocation of the global supply base to near-shore and on-shore geographies. Achieving flow is essential for organizations seeking to improve their supply chain performance in a time of increasing disruption that is likely to continue for some time.

This book highlights the high-level effectiveness of business strategies that use predictions based on the sequence of world events, global supply chains, and data gathered by smart technologies. By broadly applying physical laws to the global supply chain, Rob Handfield and Tom Linton explore the impact of supply chain physics on global market policies, such as tariffs, factory location, pandemic response, supply-based geographies, and outsourcing.

The authors provide specific recommendations on what to do to improve supply chain flows, and include important insights for managers with examples from companies such as Biogen, General Motors, Siemens, and Flex on their response to COVID-19. Flow is an important resource not only for procurement and supply chain management professionals, but for any manager concerned with enterprise-level success.