Analyst Insight: As the economic recovery proceeds, companies should be changing their sights from mere tactical cost-cutting measures to more strategic improvement initiatives. Productivity increases and cost containment are now considered a given at the leading companies. The bigger benefits are coming from companies that are integrating logistics and distribution more broadly into innovative supply chain improvement strategies.
Analyst Insight: Global competition, ongoing business transformation, and the increased lead-times / complexity of global supply chains are creating a situation where pipeline inventory and landed costs have increased dramatically. But before a company can reduce pipeline inventory or landed cost, it needs visibility into them. Hence, improving supply chain visibility is a key strategic imperative that has been, and is, growing in importance in managing the multi-enterprise supply chains.
Analyst Insight: With online retail sales projected to reach 17 percent of total company sales in 2010 and double-digit growth expected each year through 2012, retailers must take measures to offer next-generation retail. That would create a model that focuses on consumers and their experiences up to and through the purchase, or moment of truth. While most retailers have invested in some form of online capabilities, few (7 percent) have built the appropriate supply chain infrastructure to support a true, seamless, cross-channel experience for the customer.
Analyst Insight: Leading companies have a portfolio of true end-to-end supply chain metrics, use those metrics in key processes such as S&OP, supplement the metrics with customer and supplier dashboards, and have an open attitude and metrics culture that drives them through an upward spiral of increasingly higher levels of performance. Most importantly: they understand they cannot be good at everything, and they consciously manage tradeoffs.
Analyst Insight: The current advantaged freight rates in LTL/Truckload modes that most companies have secured during the down economy will not last. Tomorrow's leaders cannot rest and must begin to embrace collaboration tools and technology to support process improvements around the linkage of key partners both internally and externally and to embrace integration as the key to process improvement and transformation.
The latest news, analysis, services and systems regarding transportation and distribution and their impact on global supply chains. Today’s companies are shipping and delivering perishables and manufactured goods faster and farther around the world than ever before through transportation and distribution solutions. New technologies that provide information during local and global shipments via air, ground and sea are transforming the way companies do business - and allowing them to stay ahead of the competition in their industries. As these services continue to evolve, businesses are discovering new ways to increase efficiency and cut costs. Learn how companies are using transportation and distribution solutions to power their supply chains.
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