Logistics and supply chain management are now firmly established as critical business concerns. Many companies have appointed Directors and Vice-Presidents who are responsible for ensuring the cost-effective operation of the ‘end-to-end pipeline’ that links the supply side of the business with the end market. When the first edition of this book was published in 1992, the practice of logistics and supply chain management was still in its infancy even though the underlying ideas had been around for a while. In preparing this fifth edition of Logistics and Supply Chain Management I have continued to maintain the focus of the book around the role that logistics and supply chain management play in achieving competitive advantage. The premise that has underpinned this book since the first edition is that businesses compete as supply chains rather than as stand-alone companies. Converting this idea from an abstract concept into real-world practice is still proving a challenge for many organisations. Hopefully this book will provide some guidance on how that transformation can be achieved. Supply chains today operate in a world where the rate of change continues to increase. As we enter an era that some have termed ‘The New Industrial Revolution’ much of the conventional wisdom that has been the basis for supply chain design and thinking will have to be questioned. Hence the emphasis in the book on the need to develop logistics and supply chain solutions that are flexible and capable of adapting quickly to changes in the business environment. In writing any book there will be many sources of inspiration and this is certainly the case with this current volume. Over the years I have the good fortune to work with thought-leaders in logistics and supply chain management – both academics and practitioners – from around the world and I have learned much from them. Instead of attempting to list them I would rather acknowledge with gratitude the collective role they have played in shaping the ideas that I present in this book.