Citation (IEEE): S. Chopra and P. Meindl, Supply Chain Management: Strategy, Planning, and Operation, 2nd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ, USA: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2004.
What it argues
A standard operations textbook. Its opening chapter, assigned in the course, defines a supply chain as every party directly or indirectly involved in fulfilling a customer request, including customers, and explains that its objective is to maximize the total value generated rather than the profit of any one stage. Later chapters cover the strategic, planning and operational decisions in facilities, inventory, transportation, information, sourcing and pricing.