IBM published a case study on Armstrong World Industries on-going use of network design.  This ranged from full studies to ad-hoc studies.  Network design became something the business relied on:

“Some business units within Armstrong do not make a change or investment without consulting with the central modeling team. Sometimes the modeling results confirm the preconceived notions and sometimes the results cause people to change their mind. In all cases, the process makes the managers in the business think more rigorously about the problem and allows for better solutions.”

This is a trend we are seeing with network design.  More firms are relying on network design to make better decisions.  If you are going to rely on network design, it is not only important for the network design analyst to understand the subject matter, it is important that the greater organization has an appreciation for this as well.  The book, Supply Chain Network Design, can help you educate your organization on this important practice.