Maintaining positive returns in the value and supply chain: applying tomorrow's marketing skills

The value and supply chain is an emerging pathway to marketing's emphasis on customers. It integrates a renewed focus on customer value and the economic and behavioral systems of the supply chain. Successful value chains can be developed with emphasis on the four practices that drive a customer orientation. These are: relationships, interactivity, valuing customers over time, and customization. When properly integrated, these practices help to form networks operating as a competitive unit. This paper clarifies the role of value in the value chain, discusses the use of the four major elements in the value chain, and draws implications for marketers.