Every start-up faces the moment when growth demands a more complex organization. But how does a company stay agile, innovative and non-bureaucratic while making that transition? Alex Pierroutsakos, vice president of supply chain and analytics with Stellium, Inc., offers some advice.
Analyst Insight: If supply chains are not planned, then they evolve and often become overly costly, risky and ineffective in serving customers. However, today's dynamic markets require much more than routine planning. Each mega-process in the end-to-end supply chain (Plan, Buy, Make, Move, Distribute and Sell) is undergoing change at an unprecedented rate. Leading solutions lie in advanced planning strategies and methods for both depth and breadth. While today's top companies understand this, the majority are not yet advanced in supply chain planning. – Gene Tyndall, Executive Vice President, Tompkins International
While most manufacturers and retailers realize there is a large gap between where they are today and where they need to be to meet customers' expectations, many fail to use advanced technologies and best practices, according to a JDA survey of 255 executives across 17 countries, representing a wide range of retailers and manufacturers.
With consumer markets more volatile and unpredictable than ever before, companies need to make up for a lack of forecast accuracy with supply chains that can rapidly respond to changing demand, says Chris Vosse, business systems analyst with Teradyne.
Sagar Nadgouda, service logistics manager with Nimble Storage Inc., offers his view on how far companies have come in crafting supply chains that are truly transparent and demand-driven.
The sales and operations planning process brings great value to an organization, but companies need to take a fresh approach in order to ensure more efficient planning cycles, says Kathyleen Beveridge, director of sales operations with Qualcomm.
Aligning supply chain planning with execution is now a competitive necessity and essential for all organizations, according to a new study. Results from the 2014 Supply Chain Benchmarking Study reveal investment priorities and top challenges of more than 300 supply chain professionals from a wide cross-section of the market.