Fran O'Sullivan, general manager of systems, strategy and operations, argues the importance of having a sound strategy in place, to guide companies in their pursuit of excellence. But it's equally important to measure the success of that effort, she says.

Making the case for supply chain is both an art and a science, says Michael Dominy, vice president and chief of research with Gartner. He explains how supply-chain executives can communicate the message both up and down the organizational structure, and handle the sometimes-touchy issue of change management.