Are You the Weakest Link?
Publishers Confront the Supply Chain Challenge
Within the graphic arts industry, as well as in commerce in general, trade associations and consultants are increasingly calling attention to supply chain concepts and studying how they can be applied to business operations and long-range plans.
As far back as 2003, at the Frankfurt Book Fair, Michael Cairns—then president of R.R. Bowker and now a managing partner at business strategy consultancy Information Media Partners—said, “The supply chain is the next frontier for operational improvements …. Creating efficiencies in the supply chain is the only area where sustainable expense and cost savings could be found [moving forward].”
- Places:
- New York
- United States
Eugene G. Schwartz is editor at large for ForeWord Reviews, an industry observer and an occasional columnist for Book Business magazine. In an earlier career, he was in the printing business and held production management positions at Random House, Prentice-Hall/Goodyear and CRM Books/Psychology Today. A former PMA (IBPA) board member, he has headed his own publishing consultancy, Consortium House. He is also Co-Founder of Worthy Shorts Inc., a development stage online private press and publication service for professionals as well as an online back office publication service for publishers and associations. He is on the Publishing Business Conference and Expo Advisory Board.