Analyst Insight: A perfect performance means playing the right song for the right audience. This even applies to supply chain. When supply chain is one-size-fits-all, the orchestra falls out of tune, compromising quality to try to satisfy everyone. To deliver the best performance consistently, businesses need to prioritize customer demands through segmentation and synchronization. This reassembles supply chain to place customer needs at the core, allowing harmony between the business and customer. - Rodrigo Cambiaghi, Principal; Claudio Menegusso, Senior Manager; and Carolyn Dombrowski, Consultant, all with Advisory Services of Ernst & Young LLP

Manufacturers frequently ask themselves, "What if...?". What if a typhoon hits a major supplier in Asia and disrupts shipments? What if port workers go on strike in Long Beach? What if customers have expectations of order fulfillment within two days and you're losing sales to competitors? What if my inventory levels aren't sufficient to meet future demand for a product? What if I'm carrying excessive amounts of inventory that may turn to waste?