The publication contains a selection of the best double-blind reviewed papers presented, discussed and revised by participants of the 1st International Conference on Value Chain Management in Austria, Steyr, May 2011. The Value Chain Management (VCM) Conference presents scientific insights relevant to management as well as their translation into the practice of management. The conference focus is on the demand chain i.e. sales, production, purchasing, logistics, performance measurement and customer value management. The authors present analytical and conceptual articles as well as empirical studies showing multidisciplinary and intercultural approaches towards solving relevant open problems.

Herbert Jodlbauer is founder and dean of the School of Management at the Upper Austria University of Applied Sciences and dynamism behind the Value Chain Management Initiative.

Jan Olhager is Professor for Operations Management at the Linköping University in Sweden and a well-known editor, reviewer and author in management sciences.

Richard J. Schonberger is President of Schonberger & Associates in the USA, cofounder of World Class Manufacturing and one of the world's leading lean management experts.