Competitive pressures and changes in the economic climate have forced management of international companies to evaluate afresh the operation and structure of international supply chains. Swings between “local for local” and “international supply centre” strategies for manufacturing and distribution have dramatic implications for organisation, structure, control systems and costs to serve the customer. New approaches to managing change in international chains have emerged and been proven in recent years. This article describes the concepts underlying these approaches, the barriers that need to be overcome and some of the lessons learned from experience of implementation.