FOREWORD

Earlier this year, I was speaking at one of the conferences in Hong Kong. I noticed a very curious and attentive gentleman in the audience.

I could see in his eyes, the eagerness to learn and grow, like a curious child.

After my presentation, this gentleman stood up and went to the podium. He was the next speaker. For the next hour, he shared his experiences on Supply Chain transformation journeys.

I was curious to know more about my fellow speaker.

I was intrigued to learn that he had come a long way from a humble background of sailor to a now a management guru….what a transformation!

And no wonder, he was still curious and eager to learn and share.

There sprung an instantaneous rapport with the gentleman together with a deep respect for him. Later, when Vivek approached me to write the foreword for his new book, I was only too happy to do so.

True to his nature, he keeps things simple and practical. Unlike what is expected of a typical technical book, this one is full of stories and anecdotes.

His style of quoting examples from history and applying the techniques and lessons learnt to the modern business problems speaks volumes about his ability of guiding the reader through effective story telling.

His views on what can be outsourced and what can’t, how to have enough flexibility and creativity in the planning process while not losing sight of the purpose of the organisation, from competitive advantage to “collaborative advantage”, the dexterity with which he links the wolves’ hunting strategy and the lessons learnt from the Brazilian soccer dilemma to business..are all, to say the very least, valuable and intriguing.

Similarly, the chapter on creating trust also resonated a lot with my personal values.

Lastly, he talks about the 7 critical flaws that businesses are prone to encounter while undertaking large scale business transformations.

The practical insights provided will be applicable to a range of businesses.

Since Mr. Vivek finds a solution any problem of the business thru Supply Chain efficiencies and principles, I am tempted to give a nick name….”Mr. Supply Chain”.

Let me congratulate Vivek on his passion to write books as a means of sharing his rich experiences and insights. The book promises to be enjoyable and at the same time, insightful for both the general and technical readers alike.

Happy Reading!