SupplyChainBrain and JobsInLogistics have joined forces for the specialized purpose of:

Analyst Insight: Sales and operations planning is almost sacred to those who have it, but still fuzzy to those who don't. Those who do, cannot imagine running their business without it, while those who don’t, are still debating the merits and are not clear about the value. Whether you have it and are looking for tips to improve, or are seriously considering but yet unsure, read on. - Bryan Ball, Vice President and Group Director, Supply Chain and Operations Practices, Aberdeen Group

Analyst Insight: The pharmaceutical industry is finally sharpening its focus on profitability and efficiency. 2014 saw continued mergers and acquisitions, but more importantly, the acceleration of business focus on core sectors. Now that the impacts of the Affordable Care Act are better understood, the ability to streamline operations into sectors is driving spin-offs, sell-offs and renewed operational pressures. Two key drivers this year involving supply chains will be inventory reduction and control and lean cost reduction. – Brian Hudock, Partner, Tompkins International

SupplyChainBrain and JobsInLogistics have joined forces in 2015 for the specialized purpose of:

Analyst Insight: The pressures faced by the pharmaceutical industry are well known. These include the increasing cost of healthcare, the aging of the population in the developed world, market entry hurdles in many emerging markets, excess manufacturing capacity, reimbursement decisions based on comparative effectiveness research, and the continued adoption of generics and bio-similars. Another well-known about the industry: change occurs at a glacial pace. What role does the supply chain have in helping the industry transition to a solution-oriented approach to healthcare? – Barry Blake, Vice President, Research, SCM World

In 2014, organizations were caught off guard by the increase in advanced threats targeting vulnerabilities within business-critical applications running on SAP platforms. Everything from malware being loaded up on RFID devices and being inserted into the manufacturing process, to high-risk "denial of service" vulnerabilities are challenging organizations to re-think their current approach to protecting critical data.

Analyst Insight: Radically changing market conditions in the global pharmaceuticals industry are creating volatility in supply and demand, as well as affecting customer service levels and costs. Pharma companies are also faced with impending margin pressure from generics. In this environment, pharma executives are looking to improve efficiencies, understand emerging market customers and be better prepared to meet financial objectives. Supply chain analytics provides pharma supply chain executives with powerful tools to maintain a competitive edge. – Jay Welsh, Principal, and Srihari Rangarajan, Manager, Ernst & Young LLP