When we hear "community," we typically think of a neighborhood, or a blogging group, or even Obama's grassroots organizing, all of which require a community manager to keep the peace, incite action, and influence members. Within the last decade, as the supply chain world has undergone a tectonic shift; the concept of community has made its way into manufacturing circles. More companies are turning to outsourcing via contract manufacturers--around the country, near-shore, and overseas--which means they are faced with globally dispersed supply chains that are now more community-centric than manufacturing-centric. In this model, executives do not have direct control over the supplier and customer community, requiring that they manage "by influence" to address the different risks and rewards of product sourcing. As a result, today's community-centric supply chain may actually be more effectively managed by executives who were not groomed in the "traditional" supply chain environment.
Source: Industry Week