For over a decade, there has been an increasing interest in the use of supply chain methods to improve performance across the entire business enterprise. Numerous industries have recognized the importance of efficient supply chain integration, and, as a result, supply chain management has become a standard part of business practice.

Simultaneously, research interest in supply chain management has been growing at an increasing rate. Along with the implementation of supply chain management in practice, we have witnessed an explosive growth of research. These new research developments have found their way into practice, resulting in experiments using these developments. This implementation and experimentation has naturally lead to new ideas, hence the practice-research-practice-research cycle continues.

The Practice of Supply Chain Management: Where Theory and Application Converge is a must-have volume for users of supply chain management methods, supply chain management researchers, and students in supply chain management. The objective of The Practice of Supply Chain Management: Where Theory and Application Converge is to provide an overview of this important practice-research cycle. The focus of the book is on supply chain practice, but supply chain practice that has been heavily influenced by supply chain research. It is this synergy between research and practice that continues to simulate new directions for research.

The Practice of Supply Chain Management: Where Theory and Application Converge is organized into three sections: Core Concepts and Practices; Emerging Supply Chain Practices; and Supply Chain in Action. The Practice of Supply Chain Management: Where Theory and Application Converge will provide the reader:

· A set of tutorials on key supply chain methods and practices

· A review of supply chain practices in multipleindustries

· A description of how innovative ideas and new research methodologies have been used in practice

· An identification of the enablers of successful implementation of such ideas in practice

· A report on the new insights and research directions that can be gained from observing these practices.

Michael O’Sullivan is Director of the MA in Applied Christian Spirituality and Co-Director of the inter-institutional Spiritual Capital Ireland Centre between All Hallows College and Waterford Institute of Technology.

Bernadette Flanagan is Director of Research at All Hallows College, Dublin City University and Co-Director of the inter-institutional Spiritual Capital Ireland Centre between All Hallows College and Waterford Institute of Technology.