• Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Supplier Directory
  • SCB YouTube
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Logout
  • My Profile
  • LOGISTICS
    • Air Cargo
    • All Logistics
    • Express/Small Shipments
    • Facility Location Planning
    • Freight Forwarding/Customs Brokerage
    • Global Gateways
    • Global Logistics
    • Last Mile Delivery
    • Logistics Outsourcing
    • LTL/Truckload Services
    • Ocean Transportation
    • Rail & Intermodal
    • Reverse Logistics
    • Service Parts Management
    • Transportation & Distribution
  • TECHNOLOGY
    • All Technology
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud & On-Demand Systems
    • Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain)
    • ERP & Enterprise Systems
    • Forecasting & Demand Planning
    • Global Trade Management
    • Inventory Planning/ Optimization
    • Product Lifecycle Management
    • Sales & Operations Planning
    • SC Finance & Revenue Management
    • SC Planning & Optimization
    • Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
    • Supply Chain Visibility
    • Transportation Management
  • GENERAL SCM
    • Business Strategy Alignment
    • Education & Professional Development
    • Global Supply Chain Management
    • Global Trade & Economics
    • HR & Labor Management
    • Quality & Metrics
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • SC Security & Risk Mgmt
    • Supply Chains in Crisis
    • Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility
  • WAREHOUSING
    • All Warehouse Services
    • Conveyors & Sortation
    • Lift Trucks & AGVs
    • Order Fulfillment
    • Packaging
    • RFID, Barcode, Mobility & Voice
    • Robotics
    • Warehouse Management Systems
  • INDUSTRIES
    • Aerospace & Defense
    • Apparel
    • Automotive
    • Chemicals & Energy
    • Consumer Packaged Goods
    • E-Commerce/Omni-Channel
    • Food & Beverage
    • Healthcare
    • High-Tech/Electronics
    • Industrial Manufacturing
    • Pharmaceutical/Biotech
    • Retail
  • THINK TANK
  • WEBINARS
    • On-Demand Webinars
    • Upcoming Webinars
  • PODCASTS
  • VIDEOS
  • WHITEPAPERS
Home » The Changing World of Global Manufacturing

The Changing World of Global Manufacturing

October 12, 2011
SupplyChainBrain

Simon Jacobson, research director for manufacturing with Gartner, discusses the key trends that are driving efforts by companies to reduce costs, boost product quality and gain greater visibility into the key processes among all supply-chain partners.

The globalization of supply chains is causing companies to take a fresh approach to their manufacturing strategies, says Jacobson. They are working to align capabilities with vendors based on common technologies, products and market clusters.

Leading organizations are also focusing on aligning metrics across their supply chains. And they are beginning to incorporate sustainability concerns into their decision-making processes. In addition to the traditional emphasis on maximizing the use of equipment, they are factoring in the usage of water and other resources.

Although some original equipment manufacturers are rethinking their reliance on China and other parts of Asia as sources of low-cost production, they are still committed to outsourcing. "Contract manufacturing remains a massive option for a lot of companies," says Jacobson. What's changing is the depth of their "make-versus-buy" analyses. They are beginning to collaborate more closely with vendors in areas such as customer demand and product creation. Their goal is to move beyond the old transactional  relationship, with its sole focus on price.

Manufacturers today are doing a better job of aligning production with demand, but they still have problems reconciling sales and customer forecasts. Getting an accurate number requires full visibility into a vendor's capabilities, constraints and costs. "That's still a massive challenge," Jacobson says. Earlier attempts to harmonize the operations of vendors and customers were stalled by the recession. Assuming that the economy begins once more to grow, companies will resume their efforts to boost agility and responsiveness through improved collaboration.

Companies are just beginning to understand the implications of incorporating sustainability into the equation. "For many," says Jacobson, "it's still a compliance drill." The big challenge lies in technology - or the lack of it. Most companies looking to track their carbon emissions today are doing so in a manual fashion, through the use of spreadsheets. They need to scrap outdated systems and embrace new capabilities for data collection and calculation. But the effort is well worth it. "From a manufacturing perspective," Jacobson says, "eco-sustainability brings a massive opportunity to rationalize and make the best use of assets."

To view video in its entirety, click here

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED VIDEOS

Service Parts Management Product Lifecycle Management Sales & Operations Planning Global Trade Management Sourcing/Procurement/SRM Supply Chain Finance & Revenue Management Supply Chain Planning & Optimization Supply Chain Visibility Technology Business Strategy Alignment Education & Professional Development Global Supply Chain Management HR & Labor Management
KEYWORDS Business Strategy Alignment Education & Professional Development Global Supply Chain Management Global Trade Management HR & Labor Management Product Lifecycle Management Sales & Operations Planning SC Finance & Revenue Management SC Planning & Optimization Service Parts Management Sourcing/Procurement/SCM Supply Chain Analysis & Consulting Supply Chain Visibility Technology
  • Related Articles

    The Changing World of Global Manufacturing

    The Changing World of Healthcare Supply Chains

    The Changing World of Service Parts Management and Repair

SupplyChainBrain

Jin Tian: Eight Dead After Cargo Ship Sinks off Coast of Japan

More from this author

Wake up to live
“Supply Chains in Crisis”
updates and the latest Supply Chain News!

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter

Timely, incisive articles delivered directly to your inbox.

Popular Stories

  • INTERIOR OF A CHICKEN FARM, WITH WHITE CHICKENS AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE

    Worst Avian Flu in U.S. History Is Hitting Poultry

    Food & Beverage
  • TWO FINGERS MANIPULATE WOODEN LETTER BLOCKS TO TURN FROM SHOWING THE WORD RECOVERY TO RESILIENCE

    Five Challenges to Supply Chain Resilience in 2023

    Supply Chain Visibility
  • A PERSON HOLDS UP A TABLET COMPUTER IN A WAREHOUSE, SUPER-IMPOSED BY A GRAPHIC SHOWING A COMPLEX WEB OF SUPPLY CHAIN ELEMENTS

    Three Post-Pandemic Actions for Repairing Global Supply Chains

    Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain)
  • A MAN IN A SUIT SHAKES HANDS WITH A WOMAN IN A HARD HAT, NEXT TO A STACK OF CONTAINERS

    Three Procurement Technology Evolutions for 2023

    Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
  • The blank stare of a child's eye who is standing behind what appears to be a wooden frame

    The Alarming Continued Rise of Modern Slavery in Supply Chains: How Procurement Can Help Reverse the Trend

    Sourcing/Procurement/SRM

Digital Edition

Scb nov 2022 sm

2022 Supply Chain Innovator of the Year

VIEW THE LATEST ISSUE

Case Studies

  • New Revenue for Cloud-Based TMS that Embeds Orderful’s Modern EDI Platform

  • Convenience Store Client Maximizes Profit and Improves Customer Service

  • A Digitally Native Footwear Brand Finds Rapid Fulfillment

  • Expanding Apparel Brand Scales Seamlessly with E-Commerce Technology

  • How a Global LSP Scaled its Security Program and Won More Business

Visit Our Sponsors

Orderful Yang Ming Alithya
Barcoding Blue Yonder BNSF Logistics
CoEnterprise Data Capture Deposco
E2open GAINSystems Generix
Geodis GEP GreyOrange
Here Honeywell Intelligrated IFM
Infor Inmar Keelvar
Kinaxis Korber Lean Solutions Group 2H
Liberty SBF Locus Robotics Logility
LogistiVIEW Lucas Systems MCA Connect
MPO Nvidia Old Dominion
OpenText ORTEC Overhaul
Parsyl PMMI QIMA
Redwood Logistics Ryder E-commerce by Whiplash Saddle Creek Logistics
Schneider Dedicated Setlog Holding AG Ship4WD
Shipwell Tecsys TGW Systems
Thomson Reuters Tive Trailer Bridge
Vecna Robotics Verity
Verusen
  • More From SCB
    • Featured Content
    • Video Library
    • Think Tank Blog
    • SupplyChainBrain Podcast
    • Whitepapers
    • On-Demand Webinars
    • Upcoming Webinars
  • Digital Offerings
    • Digital Issue
    • Subscribe
    • Manage Your Subscription
    • Newsletters
  • Resources
    • Events Calendar
    • SCB's Great Supply Chain Partners
    • Supplier Directory
    • Case Study Showcase
    • Supply Chain Innovation Awards
    • 100 Great Partners Form
  • SCB Corporate
    • Advertise on SCB.COM
    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • Data Sharing Opt-Out

All content copyright ©2023 Keller International Publishing Corp All rights reserved. No reproduction, transmission or display is permitted without the written permissions of Keller International Publishing Corp

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing