Like many in the computer field, I've long had a fairly naïve and superficial understanding of the concept of "supply chain management," often abbreviated as SCM. Because it played a large role in many Y2K projects -- an issue I'll discuss in more detail -- I had some appreciation for SCM, but only in a limited way. In general, I associated supply-chain management with EDI interfaces for automated purchase orders, invoicing, and payment, and I assumed that the rise of the Internet simply meant that suppliers and customers occasionally interacted via e-mail. As you'll see in this issue of Cutter IT Journal, there is a lot more to it than that.