Supply Chain Finance & Revenue Management

Tight Credit Markets? It's Time to Liberate Your Cash

February 19, 2009

Henri van der Eerden, global practice director, REL, a div. of The Hackett Group

Working capital optimization has always been the least expensive and most readily available form of cash. With tightening credit markets the option of liberating cash from a company's operational processes has moved to the forefront. Inventory optimization presents the second-largest opportunity among the working capital components after trade receivables and ahead of trade payables.

Supply Chains Evolve into Multi-Enterprise Business Networks

February 19, 2009

Nari Viswanathan, vice president and principal analyst, Aberdeen Group

There is nearly unanimous recognition of the need for supply chain transformation driven by factors such as the globalization of supply, increasing competitive pressures, and dwindling product life cycles from companies. This transformation's initial state is the linear supply chains of the past and the final state is a dynamic multi-enterprise business network.

Rebalance Supply & Demand to Prepare for Recovery

February 19, 2009

Simon Ellis, practice director, Manufacturing Insights, an IDC company

2009 is certainly shaping up to be a difficult year for manufacturers. Tight credit markets, poor consumer confidence and retail sales, along with low manufacturing activity, suggests that overall supply chain investment activity will be reduced and cost-savings activities will be prioritized.

Mastering Significant Global Uncertainty

February 19, 2009

Dr. Edgar E. Blanco, MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics

As the financial crisis ripples through the global economy, supply chains will need to re-invent themselves and deal with uncertainty at all levels: economic, financial and regulatory. The need to balance short-term needs with long-term investments in global supply chains will add significant uncertainty to global supply chain operations.

The Green and Smart Supply Chains of the Future

February 19, 2009

Stephen Stokes, v.p., sustainability & green technologies, AMR Research

The green imperative is expanding into virtually all walks of life and all facets of the economy. Demonstrating green credentials is increasingly a minimal stakeholder expectation and business risk management factor, and is shifting from an order-winning to an order-qualifying attribute. Swallow that carbon pill! A whole swath of additional environmental expectations may well be just around the corner, as well as a whole new way of looking at "green" and the environment.

BPM, A Great Lean Solution for Tough Economic Times

February 18, 2009

David Brown, research director, AMR Research

Business process management will continue to be a topic of interest to supply chain companies in 2009. Because process change can be implemented without significant cash investments, BPM will stay fashionable in lean economic times. Adoption will be compartmental for a number of reasons: the economy, organizational politics and the lack of any vendor solution that completely meets business requirements.

Customers Increase Focus on Cost Reduction in Face of Soft Economy

February 18, 2009

Greg Aimi, research director at AMR Research

In these tough economic times with revenues likely coming up short of expectations, logistics service providers will increasingly be pressured to help lower costs for customers, but not just by squeezing existing rates. Customers need help with lowering network inventories and reducing the total cost to serve by executing demand-driven strategies, enhancing trading partner collaboration, and revisiting the network flows for optimal configuration.

Extending the Supply Chain Through the Right Providers

February 18, 2009

Brad Wyland, senior research analyst, Aberdeen Group

Today's Best-in-Class logistics executives are looking to third-party logistics providers as a value-add extension of their organization that can help deliver value to the customer at lower costs.