Strategic Management and Supply Strategy

Strategic management has informed and enhanced the development of supply strategy. Supply strategy is a strategic, collaborative, and policy-oriented field of supply in complex interorganizational networks and systems connecting manufacturing and service, for-profit, and not-for-profit organizations. Originating in production and operations management, supply strategy has grown from its operational roots through building on and incorporating strategic management concepts and theories. This chapter examines strategic management as content and process of strategies formulated and implemented by firms. Strategic management concepts relating to networks of collaborating organizations provide building blocks for developing supply strategy as a multi-organizational, value-adding, strategic endeavor. Supply strategy is conceptualized as relating to supply within organizations, buyer-supplier relationships, supply chains, supply networks, and supply systems. Competitive strategy, strategic fit, and strategic alignment are applied and adapted to supply strategy.