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[Franco]

In Alexander's time, his strategies and tactics had to be very closely tied to his supplies and to run a lean, efficient organization. His army was able to achieve successes because it managed its supply chain so well. The ways by which Alexander's army reduced risk in supply chain are:

1. In the Macedonian army the use of carts was restricted. But in other armies the number of support people and camp followers was often as large as the number of actual soldiers. Alexander's army was trained to carry their own equipment and provisions.
2. The Macedonian army was fastest, lightest and most mobile army of its time.
3. Alexander would gather intelligence about the routes, the resources, and the climate of the region and then devised the strategies.
4. Whenever the army set up a new base it looked up for an area which provided easy access to a navigable river or a seaport. Then ships would arrive from other parts of Alexander's empire to bring in the supplies.
5. When the army marched, he avoided uninhabited areas and moved through river valleys and populated regions.

You can find this same kind approach in any successful armies. For example Ghengiskhan the mongol, Babur the moghul, Shivaji the maratha followed the similar tactics in their army. Every winning armies and organizations have high quality information exchange between the entities, excellent mobility towards goal, optimal inventory and avoiding unconstructive moves.

Reference: Michael Hugos, Essentials of Supply Chain Management

[Simon]

Hello Franco,

Certainly a lot more intelligent than earlier war plans. OK so here's what we're going to do - we're going to charge at the enemy as fast as we can and shout AAARRRGGGHHH! as loud as possible.

On the history of 'Quality' how about the earliest NCR report raised some 3,000 years ago in ancient Egypt.

When the Egyptian boy King Tutankhamun was buried the beds of the King and Chief slave were not manufactured as per the specification laid down in the Book of the Dead.

The Book of the Dead was in essence a procedures manual specifying every minute detail on the burial arrangements for Kings.

I was told the story so I don't know if it's true or what the corrective action was. It took Lord Carter 9 ½ years to translate the Book of the Dead and he discovered the NCR tablet at the same time.

http://www.sacred-texts.com/egy/ebod

Regards,
Simon :D