Over a year after the start of the global financial crisis, the customer is back on top of the supply chain agenda for 2010. Over 58 percent percent of supply chain managers say their main business driver for 2010 is "Meeting (changing) customer requirements." The economic downturn is no longer the most important business driver and is now surpassed by economic recovery in the list of top business drivers for 2010.

These are the results of Capgemini Consulting's international study of 300 leading companies across Europe, the U.S., Asia-Pacific and Latin America. The study reflects the most important factors that influence the supply chain agenda in 2010 and compares this with the results of the 2009 study.

Other conclusions:

• More than 50 percent of the participating companies indicate they will start up or continue with operational excellence /Lean

• Thirty-seven percent of participating companies plan to centralize supply chain organizational functions

• IT investments are back on the radar. On average supply chain IT projects (e.g., TMS and WMS implementations) increase 3 percent to 12 percent compared with the results of the 2009 study. With a 16-percent increase, sustainability is the second-most important business driver for 2010. 

• Interest is flat in supply chain sustainability projects.

Read Full Article