World Class Supply Management: The Key to Supply Chain Management
Abstract
Book Review Reviewed by: Roberto Vinaja David N. Burton, Donald W. Dobler, and Stephen L. Starling 7th ed. McGraw-Hill, 2003, 689 pages. ISBN 0-07-229070-6 The book World Class Supply Management SM is the seventh edition of the widely adopted textbook formerly titled "Purchasing and Supply Management". The change in title reflects the emphasis of the seventh edition on supply-chain issues. The supply chain is a concept which has become popular in the literature in this field. The title itself is a term used with permission from the Strategic Supply Management Institute, which is the holder of this system mark. The World Class Supply Management service mark "recognizes that companies compete in an existing or impending global environment." Dr. Burton and Dr. Dobler were the authors of previous editions of this book. The seventh edition introduces a significant change: Dr. Stephen Starling has joined the team as an additional co-author while Dr. Dobler has ceased to provide active contributions. Professor Starling has developed two more chapters and contributed updated material for many of the other chapters. The book has been modernized to "reflect" the current issues of supply management in the digital era. In addition to their academic credentials, the