Supply Chain Visibility

Warehouse Management: Success Built on Process Improvement and Partner Collaboration

March 9, 2010

Scott Pezza, Research Associate, SC Mgmt., Aberdeen Group

Analyst Insight: From a strategic perspective, warehouse managers are faced with balancing competing objectives. They need to get orders out of the door faster, keep inventory moving amid fluctuating demand, and minimize costs. It will require not only process efficiencies within the four walls but better collaboration with both upstream and downstream partners to keep these competing pressures in check.

What's the Real 'China Price'?

March 8, 2010

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

Warehouse Logistics: Preparing for the Best of Times by Managing through the Worst

March 8, 2010

Scott Pezza, Research Associate, SC Mgmt., Aberdeen Group

Analyst Insight: For most companies, the management focus on order fulfillment concerns cost-containment. To lower operating expenses, companies should look to both cost savings (via efficiency gains) as well as cost avoidance (via accuracy improvements). Making these changes in the short term can yield long-term benefits, as those improvements that save costs now can also position companies to better handle the greater volumes that will follow a rebound in consumer demand.

Transportation & Distribution: Moving Beyond Recessionary Tactics with Four Winning Strategies for Your Supply Chain

March 8, 2010

Bob Heaney, Sr. Research Anal, SC Execution, Aberdeen Group

Analyst Insight: The economy and reductions in demand have focused priority on tactical initiatives within the supply chain. In 2010 there will be renewed focus beyond securing distribution efficiencies and renegotiating transportation rates (2009's top actions). As we exit the recession, companies are encouraged to embrace a 4-step strategy for transformational change.

Cadre Technologies Issues Event-Management System for WMS

March 5, 2010

Cadre Technologies

Transportation Management: Trends and Advancements for the Next Decade

March 5, 2010

Bob Heaney, Sr. Research Analyst, SC Execution, Aberdeen Group

Analyst Insight: Today's transportation organizations are being affected on all sides by rising costs and demands. Top performers in this economy are extending beyond the basics of domestic and international systems and beginning to create and extend automated processes to address advanced capabilities like dynamic optimization and the daily use of analytic tools to monitor events and communicate and collaborate on a near real-time basis.

Supply Chain Security & Risk Management: There's Help for the 'Dirty' Work of Dealing with Risk Management

March 5, 2010

Ann Grackin, chief executive officer, ChainLink Research

Analyst Insight: The dirty underside of supply chain is confronting the many risks inherent in 24x7-operations entrusted to "partners" in far-flung regions who are conducting fraudulent activities as well as dealing with unpredictable events. The big market here is risk transfer-insurance and others services to mitigate the impact of events. In addition, step by step, we are beginning to see approaches-metric and risk assessments methods, auditing and monitoring services, and technology - to support risk avoidance and assure recovery.

Supply Chain Visibility: First Comes Visibility, Then Comes Needed Improvements

March 5, 2010

Viktoriya Sadlovska, Researcher, & Bob Heaney, Sr. Research Anal, Aberdeen Group

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.

SaaS & On-Demand Systems: Is the Cloud Within Your Reach?

March 5, 2010

David Meyers, Principal, Tompkins Associates

Analyst Insight: Many businesses have been paying more attention to the concept of software as a service (SaaS) and how it can be incorporated into their IT portfolios. The most commonly stated benefits -rapid deployment, lower cost, and scalability - must be balanced by other key decision criterion, such as fit, ROI, and risk.