The Lean Supply Chain: Managing the Challenge at Tesco

At Tesco, one of the leading global retailers, senior leadership made a simple, but game-changing, decision to focus the business on its customers rather than the conventional approach of "competing with our competitors." Their strategy was deployed by building world-leading retail and supply chain operations that are both effective in delivering what customers wanted and efficient in performance and cost metrics.

The Lean Supply Chain explores how the retailer used lean thinking, loyalty and simplicity and grew under a determined supply chain strategy to achieve their dominant UK and global position. Logistics professionals Evans and Mason look at Tesco's origins, the development of their supply chain, the continuous improvement and current developments. They include examples of Tesco's successful operations, including their rapid roll-out of store-based grocery home-delivery and the change of focus from supermarket and hypermarket development to building a network of neighborhood convenience stores and mid-sized stores in cities -- Tesco Metro and Tesco Express stores.

With examples and advice for supply chain management professionals, this book uncovers why Tesco is as successful as it is today and how they did it.

About the Author

Barry Evans' early career involved a variety of roles in Logistics and Distribution with brewery Watney Mann, food business Rank Hovis McDougall and UK postal service Royal Mail. This was followed by roles in Tesco plc including Lean Process Manager in Tesco Supply Chain Development where he developed ways in which lean thinking could be applied in Tesco. He has also joined the Lean Enterprise Research Centre at Cardiff Business School as a Senior Research Associate.

Robert Mason is a Senior Lecturer in Logistics and Operations Management section (LOM) at Cardiff Business School and has led many business research projects with Tesco as a partner.