The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted supply chain Globally. The short-term consequences were sudden and often severe. Supply chain Industry is constantly changing it’s course. With those changes the New trends and Insights are developing in the Industry and Academia. Most of the companies are focusing on Internal Transformation to redesign the supply chain. On the other hand, the Resilience becoming the key strategy for the Supply Chain Industry. As a Supply Chain Professional, we must acquire new Knowledge to weaponize ourselves for the upcoming challenges. Ignoring or not being aware of those trends in industry can uphold us.

Upon Reading Couple of the books in 2021, I curated a list of Best Supply Chain Books that I thought you can benefit from it. This list is targeted toward Advance Supply Chain Professional.

1. The New (Ab)Normal: Reshaping Business and Supply Chain Strategy Beyond Covid-19  by Yossi Sheffi

As usual much like his other Books, he detailed the Scientific origin of the Virus, Yossi Sheffi distills the implications and insights associated with the COVID-19 disruption and it’s implications to global supply chains. It is a timely work that helps both practitioners and lay people how to adapt to the new (ab)normal.

Refer to the below Video link where Yossi Sheffi Discusses Reshaping the business and Supply Chain Strategy in a session hosted by MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics:

2. Digital Supply Networks: Transform Your Supply Chain and Gain Competitive Advantage with Disruptive Technology and Reimagined Processes by Amit Sinha & other Authors

This is a very timely book and a great read for professionals who want to learn how to transform their organizations and supply chains to become more agile and resilient. The book provides an in-depth, yet approachable overview of key technologies and digital transformation challenges faced by companies today as well as a hands-on playbook providing practical guidance to navigate these difficult waters. While the topic is complex, the authors manage — through extensive experience — to break it down nicely and present a book that ends up being hard to put down. I recommend it to professionals in all types of industries that deal with global supply chains, plus academics and students, and anybody with an interest in how COVID and the digital transformation will most certainly change the world we live in.

3. The Cloud-Based Demand-Driven Supply Chain by Vinit Sharma

A brilliant book for everyone interested in understanding the connected supply chain ecosystem ― both business and technology implications. Sharma, a cloud deployment expert himself, explores all relevant areas of advanced supply chains of manufacturing organizations, covering topics like sensing demand signals, SCM control towers, and artificial intelligence, as well as showcasing case studies and practical examples. An insightful book.

4. Supply Chain Metrics that Matter by Lora M. Cecere

Well, you may argue with me for this suggestion, but believe me if you are undertaking Transformation project, you need this Book. Without setting metrics of your Supply Chain activity, it has no meaning. Personally, I used this book for KPI setting of Procurement and Inventory Management. Lora’s storytelling style helps the reader understand where she is going with her new orbital metrics by experiencing the reactions of her ‘client’ and his team to their independent thinking. Lora’s approach for me is a good blend of finance and supply chain. Quantitative analysis results by Industry are found throughout the book.

5. The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement – 30th Anniversary Edition by Eliyahu M. Goldratt 

Ultimate Old Classic. This is one of the best business books I’ve ever read. This book is an insightful and enjoyable read. The story will ring true to anyone working in a process that encourages starting an overwhelming quantity of work as deadlines become ever harder to hit. I read the Goal from the perspective of leading change in a service delivery department, where I’ve used the Kanban Method to guide improvements to our delivery. The goal was the initial inspiration for David Anderson’s book Kanban for Successful Evolutionary Change, and it was interesting to read from that perspective.

6. The New Division of Labor: How Computers Are Creating the Next Job Market by Frank Levy and Richard J. Murnane

The book begins by asking four key questions and goes on to answer them. This gives a clear framework for thinking about the many issues surrounding the future relationship between man and machine. It is a clearly thought, clearly written work and a first-rate starting point to the more recent literature.

Definitely there are lot of books on Supply Chain and Logistics, but listed books above really stood out for me. For Supply Chain professional, it is very much important to be in the loop of current trends and changes. And act quickly to adopt a new strategy. The recent Transformational exercise is also very encouraging.

Lastly, a company needs clear KPIs to measure complexity and monitor progress, and these KPIs need to be linked in a way that helps companies make the necessary trade-offs between cost and value.