Global Production: A Handbook for Strategy and Implementation

Our review of Global Production: A Handbook for Strategy and Implementation finds it most valuable for managers and strategists planning to expand or optimize manufacturing footprints worldwide. The book pulls together survey-based insights and direct executive experience to offer a practical, implementation-focused view of global manufacturing networks, and its single biggest benefit is the breadth of real-world perspectives that shorten the learning curve for teams tackling location decisions and site ramp-up. For readers who want tactical guidance rather than high-level theory, this handbook is a useful, grounded reference.

Key Features

• Comprehensive strategy coverage: Treats the full span from location decision to ramp-up so planners can follow a consistent process for global expansion.
• Practice-driven analysis: Draws on an extensive survey of leading manufacturing companies to provide real-world evidence rather than only academic models.
• Executive perspectives: Includes insights from numerous senior managers, helping readers anticipate organizational and operational challenges.
• Implementation focus: Emphasizes the steps needed to actually implement a globalization strategy, not just how to design one.
• Broad management scope: Covers purchasing and production together, making it easier to align sourcing and manufacturing decisions across borders.

Who It's For

This handbook is aimed at operations directors, head office strategy teams, purchasing managers, and plant managers who are directly involved in planning or executing global production and sourcing projects. It is most useful where a company needs a comprehensive, practical reference that synthesizes survey data and experienced judgment to inform decisions.

Readers who primarily want prescriptive checklists for a single market, highly technical engineering instructions, or lightweight executive summaries may find the depth here more than they need and should look for shorter, focused guides instead.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Wide coverage of the decision cycle from site selection to ramp-up makes it a one-stop reference for global production strategy.
• Survey-based content offers evidence-backed recommendations that reflect how leading firms operate.
• Practical examples and executive discussion sections help translate strategy into actionable steps.

Cons

• The handbook is broad in scope and leans toward managerial analysis, so readers seeking narrowly technical manufacturing procedures may need supplemental resources.

Specifications

Our Verdict

Global Production is a practical, evidence-informed handbook that will repay the attention of operations leaders and strategy teams preparing to globalize manufacturing or align purchasing with production. Its strength is the combination of survey data and executive experience, which makes it good value for managers who need an operational roadmap rather than purely theoretical guidance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this book cover both production and purchasing?
Yes, the handbook explicitly treats production and purchasing operations together to support aligned decision making.

Is the content research-based or anecdotal?
The material combines an extensive survey of leading companies with many executive discussions, so it blends data and practitioner insight.

Will it help with choosing a new plant location?
The book addresses the optimal location decision and follow-up steps, offering frameworks and experience useful for site selection and ramp-up.