Think of the many different products and services that are purchased and consumed each day how do they reach the end-user? What does this cost? What happens when something goes wrong? Logistics and Supply Chain Management (SCM) are the areas of study which help us to explore and answer these questions. Today they play a very important role in underpinning the success of many organisations across the public and private sectors and impact how we live our lives. This book, now in its third edition, provides essential reading for anybody studying SCM and logistics. Encompassing both practical and strategic perspectives, it takes a truly global perspective, recognising the transnational nature of logistics activities in today's world.