• ECC News

Supply Chain 101 | October 2, 2015

by Shaina Birkhead (The Children's Book Council)

How are reprint quantities determined? Who coordinates the printing of books? What does ’supply chain’ even mean, and what does the day-to-day work within the department entail? These questions and more led us on a path of discovery that culminated in our August ECC panel, Supply Chain 101. We were introduced to the fascinating and often misunderstood world by three industry veterans: Christine Dong, a Senior Demand Planner for children’s at Simon & Schuster; Lianna Izzo, Demand & Supply Planner at Hachette Book Group; and Alison Tromp, Associate Director of Inventory Management at Macmillan.

The panelists really gave use a sense of their day-to-day lives, and the struggles and rewards of working in a misunderstood and oft forgotten department. Acting as mediators between multiple departments, as well as warehouses and shipping facilities around the globe, certainly has its challenges. Did you know that if you have a book printed in China it runs the risk of being censored without your knowledge!?? Deciding reprint quantities is not an exact science and supply chain pros spend a large part of their day looking at reports and putting their analytical skills to work. As with any job in publishing, it is a love of books (and organization) that really makes the work fulfilling!

Kudos to ECC Board rep Catherine Laudone for a moderating job well-done, and thanks to everyone who attended, asked questions, and helped make this panel a success! Watch the full panel here! (email Shaina for the secret password).