Analyst Insight: There needs to be a clear line of sight between what is in the contract (and the contractual obligations of both parties), the performance metrics or KPIs, and the relationship, including a 360º perception of the relationship. However in practice this is rarely the case. – Alan Day, Chairman & Founder, State of Flux
Analyst Insight: Alignment is the number one strategy to increase business value. Alignment is realized when the business strategy, functions, employees, business processes and technology are optimized for growth and profitability resulting in substantial shareholder returns. Procurement’s opportunity for excellence begins with alignment to the business and the broader enterprise strategy. – Mickey North Rizza, BravoSolution
Vnomics Corp., a provider of fleet-management technology, has joined with SkyBitz, Inc., the vendor of remote asset-tracking and information management tools, on development of an integrated tracking system aimed at for-hire and private truck fleets.
Analyst Insight: The sales and operations planning process has fairly deep roots in most companies. Research by SCM World shows that many have been able to extend the process across most internal functions. However, few companies have extended the process externally to trading partners. The incentive structure of buyers and sellers tends to set these groups at cross-purposes. Flexibility pricing can shift the incentives in a direction that forces companies to negotiate the value of flexibility. - Barry Blake, Vice President, Research, SCM World
Analyst Insight: Tracking supply chain metrics can help organizations identify opportunities for quality and performance improvement. However, identification is half the battle; organizations must adopt practices that can lead to improvement. One of these practices is the development of close relationships with key suppliers and service providers. Through these relationships, organizations can realize improvements in both performance and quality. - Becky Partida, Research Specialist, APQC
Sue Montgomery, senior business analyst with March Networks, talks about the challenges her company faces in gaining full visibility of supply and demand, and in dealing with increasing supply-chain volatility.
Fifty-seven percent of surveyed chief procurement officers (CPOs) said short-term cost reduction is a higher priority than long-term growth in 2014, according to a new survey by Consero Group, which specializes in creating high-level, invitation-only events for senior executives. The results were reported as part of the 2014 Procurement & Strategic Sourcing Data Survey, compiled by Consero Group.
Dell Inc. looks to the emerging concept of vested outsourcing, in a partnership with Genco, to improve the high-tech giant's global supply chain and level of customer service. Dell executive director Robert McIntosh shares the details.
Champ Cargosystems, a provider of integrated air-cargo services, has launched an airfreight community platform. Dubbed CargoUpdate, the tool was designed to enhance communications between airlines and freight forwarders.
