World-class, commercial supply chain management standards are now exceptionally high. The best organizations measure order-to-receipt time in two days or less, with near perfect probability. This speed is backed up by nimble systems capable of rapidly responding to unexpected contingencies and surge requirements. Unfortunately, while the commercial sector has been rapidly adopting modern, information-based supply chain systems--in order to remain competitive in the worldwide marketplace--the shift to such systems in the public sector has met with significant resistance and has moved far more...

World-class, commercial supply chain management standards are now exceptionally high. The best organizations measure order-to-receipt time in two days or less, with near perfect probability. This speed is backed up by nimble systems capable of rapidly responding to unexpected contingencies and surge requirements. Unfortunately, while the commercial sector has been rapidly adopting modern, information-based supply chain systems--in order to remain competitive in the worldwide marketplace--the shift to such systems in the public sector has met with significant resistance and has moved far more...