Book excerpt: Supply chain management is a broader concept than logistics and extends beyond the company to all branches in the supply chain, including vendors, customers, carriers, facilitators, and channel intermediates. An in-depth understanding of supply chain fundamentals is imperative to create real value for the customer. Bowon Kim's Supply Chain Management examines the issues of effective SCM from the perspective of a dynamic organization, offering theoretical and empirical knowledge to effectively manage this interlocking series of transactions. Key decision dimensions are analyzed to better appreciate and manage the interrelationships between the critical elements of any SCM strategy: configuration, connection, inventory and logistics. Each element is reviewed to understand its dynamics and how it interacts with other factors to influence the overall performance of the supply chain. All linkages are scrutinized, from the optimum characteristics of supply chain coordination to innovative collaboration; the evolution of a supply chain strategy is charted through the course of this unique reference book. By thoroughly studying this book, readers will be able to develop a highly effective and well-balanced perspective to elucidate significant managerial problems in supply chain management.