"Surviving Supply Chain Integration takes a particularly timely look at the benefits of continuously improving the relationship between the small manufacturing firm, its suppliers, and its customers to ensure the highest added value and fastest response to market forces at the lowest cost. It focuses on state-of-the-art supply chain developments and technologies that contribute to supplier success or failure and then relates them to the capabilities that small and medium-sized manufacturers must have to be viable participants in this system. Also included are strategies for attaining these capabilities through manufacturing extension centers and other technical assistance providers at the national, state, and local level.". "Perhaps most important, this book identifies useful actions to help small and medium-sized manufacturers survive as large customers radically change their supply chain relationships." "Surviving Supply Chain Integration will be of special interest to industry policy makers, economists, researchers, business leaders, and to all forward-thinking executives who struggle to survive the impacts of supply chain integration."--BOOK JACKET.