Gold Award Winner for Business and Economics in the 2005 ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards

What happens when fire strikes the manufacturing plant of the sole supplier for the brake pressure valve used in every Toyota? When a hurricane shuts down production at a Unilever plant? When Dell and Apple chip manufacturers in Taiwan take weeks to recover from an earthquake? When the U.S. Pacific ports are shut down during the Christmas rush? When terrorists strike? In The Resilient Enterprise, Yossi Sheffi shows that companies' fortunes in the face of such business shocks depend more on choices made before the disruption than they do on actions taken in the midst of itandmdash;and that resilience benefits firms every day, disaster or no disaster. He shows how companies can build in flexibility throughout their supply chains, based on proven design principles and the right cultureandmdash;balancing security, redundancy, and short-term profits. And he shows how investments in resilience and flexibility not only reduce risk but create a competitive advantage in the increasingly volatile marketplace.

Sheffi describes the way companies can increase securityandmdash;reducing the likelihood of a disruptionandmdash;with layered defenses, the tracking and analysis of andldquo;near-misses,andrdquo; fast detection, and close collaboration with government agencies, trading partners, and even competitors. But the focus of the book is on resilienceandmdash;the ability to bounce back from disruptions and disastersandmdash;by building in redundancy and flexibility. For example, standardization, modular design, and collaborative relationships with suppliers (and other stakeholders) can help create a robust supply chain. And a corporate culture of flexibilityandmdash;with distributed decision making and communications at all levelsandmdash;can create a resilient enterprise.

Sheffi provides tools for companies to reduce the vulnerability of the supply chain they live in. And along the way he tells the stories of dozens of enterprises, large and small, including Toyota, Nokia, General Motors, Zara, Land Rover, Chiquita, Aisin Seiki, Southwest Airlines, UPS, Johnson and Johnson, Intel, Amazon.com, the U.S. Navy, and others, from across the globe. Their successes, failures, preparations, and methods provide a rich set of lessons in preparing for and managing disruptions.
Additional material available at www.TheResilientEnterprise.com

andquot;Excellent!! I really enjoyed reading it. For me, unlike many business books, it held my attention and I wanted to keep reading to get to the next chapter. The strength of the book is the 'real life' examples and the vignettes woven into the topics being discussed.
The content is so good that if you look at the examples/discussions though the government's eyes, there is knowledge to be gained throughout the book. I appreciate the opportunity to read it.andquot;
andmdash;Kenneth Wykle, President, National Defense Transportation Association

andquot;In our enormously complex world, disruption is an inevitability and resilience a requirement. Yossi Sheffi's landmark book offers managers a comprehensive approach to preparing for what cannot be predicted.andquot;
andmdash;Michael Hammer, author of Reengineering the Corporation

andquot;[Sheffi is] quickly becoming the global expert on resilient enterprises.andquot;
andmdash; John Robbandrsquo;s Weblog

andquot;A crucial book for anyone involved in operations and logistics to understand how to build a truly flexible organization that can not only withstand but thrive in a risky world.andquot;
andmdash;Patrick T. Harker, Dean, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

andquot;Insightful, shrewd, and creative. This book shows how enterprises properly made resilient against both terrorism and the disruptions inherent in globalization can also have the flexibility to respond more effectively to today's fast-changing markets.andquot;
andmdash;R. James Woolsey, former Director of Central Intelligence, Vice President, Booz Allen Hamilton

andquot;This is the best business book I have read this year. It will be essential for senior managers and CEOs, for whom it will provide much food for thought and a stimulus to action.andquot;
andmdash;John Allan, Chief Executive, Exel PLC

Additional material available at www.TheResilientEnterprise.com

Yossi Sheffi, an international expert in supply chain management, is Professor of Engineering Systems at MIT and Director of the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics. He has worked with leading manufacturers around the world on logistics issues and is an active entrepreneur, having founded or cofounded five companies since 1987.