Article at a glance:

Supply chain champs

For many consumer goods manufacturers, supply chain management seems a constant trade-off between lower costs and better customer service. But a survey of 40 multinational and domestic companies in Germany shows that some have found a way to achieve both.

The take-away

The best supply chain managers ignore conventional wisdom about the trade-offs they face. Instead, they probe deeply to make their production, logistics, and inventory-management practices more efficient and to improve customer service at the same time.