Recently, SCDigest editor Dan Gilmore wrote a column on the interesting approach of Unilever North America, in which the company modeled what it called a "perfect logistics network" - unconstrained by not only current physical network limitations but perfect operationally as well.

It then was able to classify all the other costs by different categories to explain the difference between those perfect network costs and what it actually spent in 2013. (See Insights from Unilever's Perfect Logistics Network Exercise).

In this supply chain thought leadership video series program, Dr. Mike Watson of Northwestern University, and lead author the recent book Supply Chain Network Design, discussed the approach companies usually take to benchmark supply chain costs - and how Unilver took it a step further.

View the excellent video now below.