Acknowledgments We would like to acknowledge those companies and individuals who have directly (and indirectly) contributed to this book. First and foremost, we would recognize Ralph Maltese. Ralph has been a colleague on past projects, a subject matter expert for SAP func- tionality and implementation methodology and business practices in general, and a great friend. Without his insight, contributions, and energy, this edition would have been nearly impossible. Second, we would recognize our supply chain colleagues at Amway, the United States Air Force, the Diverse Manufacturing Supply Chain Alliance (DMSCA), Kohler Co., McCormick and Co., and Nortech Systems, who again committed themselves to the approach--bringing ideas and suggestions that challenged us to make Supply Chain Excellence easier, more effective, and more relevant. This third edition is an- other tribute to them. Specific thanks are in order to George Calvert and his team, as well as to Gerry Phillips, Jane McCarthy, Jeff Akers, David Burton, Jim Radin, Denise Layfield, Mike Degen, Pete Kucera, Davor Grgic, Joe Hnilicka, Gerrard Gallenberger, Oliver Kaestner, and the Supply Chain Operating System (SCOS) team. Third, we would like to recognize Xelocity, eKNOWtion, and SCE Africa, who as partners have adopted the approach, added their expertise and regional perspectives, and successfully delivered project after project--including the application of the ProcessWizard tool-- xvii American Managememt Association · www.amanet.org