Trace One recently surveyed global private label executives across a variety of industries to determine how they collaborate and the impact it has on their business. Participants were asked about the tools they use to communicate and share information, as well as how collaboration and transparency impacts respondents’ businesses and what they consider to be major collaboration challenges in today’s private label industry.

According to the survey, though participants can see and feel the value of collaboration, they are still challenged in their ability to communicate effectively and in real-time by using PLM software designed to do so. In fact, an astounding number of people said they cannot identify or collaborate with their direct supplier network. About one in four respondents rated their collaboration as “fair” or “poor,” and 43 percent of respondents say they still use offline tools such as spreadsheets and the telephone as their primary form of communication. Offline tools often impede collaboration efforts because they cannot be updated in real time across the supply chain and in various regions, and paperwork is easily misplaced and often difficult to share.

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