"Considerable opportunities for supply chain improvement exist in China and steady progress is being made to continuously improve these operations," says Bruce Tompkins, executive director of the consortium and author of the report. "In fact, we found that more than 41 percent of respondents plan to invest in distribution operations within the next 12 to 18 months."

Companies see China as a way to grow their business and gain more market share, as well as boost service levels and reduce logistics cost. And nearly three-quarters of the respondent companies have been in China for more than five years. They know the culture and the benefits that China has to offer.

Additional findings include:

• A significant number of companies have more than 2,000 employees in China.

• An average of 56.3 percent of companies internationally source products, while approximately 38.2 percent source products in China.

• Companies' distribution networks in China are rapidly changing, making them less than optimal for all products and channels.

• More than 54 percent of companies use a logistics service provider for distribution in China.

• Many companies are planning to invest in equipment and technology rather than buildings.

For more information, click here to download the China Supply Chain Perspectives Report.

The Consortium also has a LinkedIn group and Xing group for organizations that are interested in staying current on the latest in supply chain benchmarking and best practices.

Source: Tompkins Supply Chain Consortium