Agribusiness Supply Chain Management

The agribusiness supply chain includes a number of processes such as supply management, production management, and demand management to customers through a competitive distribution channel. Each step of the way can be plagued with issues such as diversity of production and demand, bulkiness of produce, perishability, and seasonality. Highlighting the complexity and importance of supply chain management within businesses handling agricultural products, Agribusiness Supply Chain Management addresses issues that help readers systematically approach decision making in the agribusiness sector.

The book covers issues across various spectrums of business and government’s role in the agribusiness supply chain domain. It focuses on actors in supply chains, intrinsic issues that would impact the actors and then the support systems that are essential to make the supply chain achieve its effectiveness. The authors’ clear, well-structured treatment provides a logical approach to key activities of agribusiness supply chain management. They provide numerous case studies that span a wide range of issues and industries that readers can use to sharpen managerial decision making skills.

In today’s world, companies compete on supply chains. With the many factors that can cause delays in deliverability, a well-designed supply chain is a must. Those who have the capability to establish a distinctive supply chain and create it as a strategic asset are leaders in their business; and in fact emerge as the best in class across industries and markets. This book helps readers develop best practices for making key marketing decisions and designing efficient and effective supply chains that meet global challenges.

About the Authors

N. Chandrasekaran holds a PhD in financial management (1990) from Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR), University of Madras, and has about 25 years of corporate experience in areas relating to supply chain manage-ment, corporate planning, strategic management, mergers, acquisitions, corporate restructuring and has also worked with start-ups. He is also a Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) awarded by Association of Operations Management, USA.

He is currently with Take Solutions Ltd as vice president, Corporate Affairs. He is also director, Centre for Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Chennai. Dr. Chandrasekaran has worked for agro-based business for organizations like National Dairy Development Board, leading groups engaged in the business of sugar manufacture, and with IT and knowledge-based companies as head of strategy, Human Resources Management and Policy and Systems.

He has published a number of articles in leading professional journals and brought out a first annual publication named Indian Supply Chain Network. He has authored a book Supply Chain Managementpublished by Oxford University Press India in 2010. He is also coauthor of Strategic Management, published by Oxford University Press India in 2011. He led a team of four researchers on a project "Ethical Supply Chain Management in India," which was later published by Shroff Publishers in 2012.

G. Raghuram has been a faculty member at IIM Ahmedabad since 1985. He is the dean (Faculty) since September 2013. He was the vice chancellor of the Indian Maritime University from July 2012 to March 2013 and was the Indian Railways Chair Professor from January 2008 to August 2010. He specializes in infrastructure and transport systems and logistics and supply chain management. He con-ducts research on the railway, port, shipping, aviation and road sectors. He has published over 30 refereed papers in journals and written over 140 case studies. His fifth coauthored book is in the press now. He was awarded "Academician of the Year" by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in 2012. He is a fellow of the Operational Research Society of India, and Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport. He has teaching experience at universities in India, the U.S., Canada, Yugoslavia, Singapore, Tanzania and the UAE.

He has offered consultancy services to over 100 organisations including multilateral agencies. He is on the board of eight companies in the fields of infra-structure and logistics. He has served on various government policy making and advisory committees for the Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Shipping, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Planning Commission, Comptroller and Auditor General and the Cabinet Secretariat.

Prof. Raghuram has a BTech degree from IIT, Madras; a postgraduate diploma in management from IIM, Ahmedabad; and a PhD from Northwestern University, U.S.