Conversations with Supply Chain Managers

This paper documents the process of supply chain formation to bring a new product to market, based on phone and personal interviews with supply chain professionals and consultants from a range of industries including but not restricted to high tech, consumer products and services, entertainment, food, furniture, family and entertainment, consulting and other b-to-b services, automotive, and large complex engineered products. Most of these interviews were conducted between September 2009 and January 2010, but some earlier interactions have been incorporated as appropriate. Potentially identifying information has been removed to preserve anonymity, which was promised to the respondents.