The Magic Conveyor Belt

What’s involved in getting products to the shelf or to your home? What does the journey from mined materials to toys available for purchase look like? What exactly are supply chains and just how complex are they? How much advanced technology is involved? How will robots and AI impact jobs as their use grows?

This book offers explanations to all theses questions and much more, with historical perspectives and modern examples. It covers contemporary issues of outsourcing and reshoring, sustainability, resilience, regulations and the social, managerial, and policy issues resulting from technological innovations.

EXPERTS ARE TALKING ABOUT THE MAGIC CONVEYOR BELT

"Professor Sheffi brilliantly explains the arcane and vital supply chains that make the world work in this highly useful book for the average person and logistics professionals alike." — Frederick W. Smith, Founder and Executive Chairman, FedEx Corporation

"The pandemic has brought to everyone’s attention the importance of supply chains. Professor Sheffi’s tour-de-force explains how these massive networks operate in a complex, ever-changing world. The book sheds lights on the use of modern technology in running these networks, and the cooperative roles of both people and technology in the future. A must-read." — Hamid Moghadam, CEO, Prologis Inc.

"Professor Sheffi explains in clear language the complexities of global supply chains and their future in a technology-infused world. It is an essential read for anybody who wants to understand how just about everything we use reaches us, and how it will happen in the future. His explanation of the role of A.I. is illuminating – he explains why rather than replacing jobs, it will augment, change, and create new jobs in supply chains and elsewhere." — Vincent Clerc, CEO, A.P. Møller – Mærsk A/S