Supply chain management: Literature

Companies that develop environmentally sound strategies, programs and initiatives can begin to overcome operational constraints, enrich their brands, improve regulatory compliance and operate more effectively.

A volatile economic environment provides today's sourcing and procurement leaders with the opportunity to create a new roadmap for the supply chains of the future by adopting a strategic sourcing approach that business results.

The smarter supply chain of the future.

Businesses should consider implementing service-oriented architecture to become increasing agile in managing supply chain issues in today's complex, global business environment.

The distinctions are blurring between advertising and marketing, as new forms of communication marry the return on investment (ROI)-characteristics of marketing with emotional characteristics of traditional brand advertising - in short, the old ways cannot meet the challenges of today.

As part of our Global Chief Supply Chain Officer Study, we spoke with 23 Life Sciences supply chain executives. Like their peers across industries, these executives are most concerned about supply chain visibility. But they also are wrestling with increasing customer demands, risk and globalization.

As part of our Global Chief Supply Chain Officer Study, we spoke with metals and mining supply chain executives. Like their peers in other industries, M&M executives are wrestling with rising risk, supply chain visibility issues, cost volatility, globalization and increasing customer demands.

New strategies, transformed processes and next generation technology will help reduce overall complexity and success in the auto spare parts business will hinge upon understanding customers, optimizing supply chains, improving collaboration and strengthening competitiveness.

What are some major insights and issues that top supply chain executives are dealing with? IBM asked 400 supply chain professionals worldwide what they thought. Some of the answers might surprise you.

Taking into account traditional concerns about quality, service and cost, a comprehensive carbon-management strategy can build a base for sustaining growth – enabling companies to maintain competitive differentiation, strengthen their brand image and be better positioned to enter new markets.

Food distributors' traditional value proposition, which centered on storing and transporting goods, is no longer sufficient. In a consolidating and intensely competitive industry, these distributors will need to provide more value to remain competitive.

The GMA 2008 Logistics Survey offers new insights, confirms long-held beliefs and presents an industry baseline to help each company and logistics operation devise its own customized plan of action to address the many challenges and opportunities applicable to supply chain management today.

As European payments convergence progresses, banks must emphasize all sorts of collaboration: with corporate clients, with peers to help set payments standards and with government representatives for more consistent payments legislation across Europe.

A new IBM Institiute for Business Value study reveals the drivers of customer advocacy and can help apparel retailers find new ways to differentiate their businesses.

These two reports examine the status of supply chain management in Mainland China.

Our 2007 Mainland China Value Chain Study indicates that Mainland Chinese companies have set strategic supply chain fulfillment objectives, but still need to turn these objectives into more concrete actions.

Our 2007 Mainland China Value Chain Study indicates that Mainland Chinese companies have set strategic supply chain fulfillment objectives, but still need to turn these objectives into more concrete actions.

Despite some looming hurdles, Indian automakers are bullish about their industry's future.

To ensure safety of the food supply and other consumer products, as well a enhance credibility with consumers, consumer products companies can turn to full value traceability to track product ownership throughout the supply chain.

To increase passenger satisfaction and become operationally efficient, airlines and airports need to adopt a new business model that features a flexible infrastructure and greater collaboration.

Read about how 3PLs are adjusting to an expanded role that is growing more complex by geographical expansion and demanding customers.

Gather ideas about the business changes foreign companies may need to make in order to tap China's rapidly growing mass market.

Innovative business models for “how to sell” are now almost as important as innovative products - CE manufacturers need to deftly manage their mix of sales channels.

On the move: Advancing military logistics toward sense-and-respond

Sales and Operations Planning is becoming a necessity for successful supply chain execution. Keys to success include a dedicated governance model, an integrated, networked and formal S&OP process from sales and marketing to the supplier base, with an added “spicing” of innovation and vision.

Read results of the 2006 India Value Chain Study, which indicates that many Indian companies are gearing up to meet the challenges and opportunities, while others have significant room for improvement in delivering high performance with increased responsiveness.

Most retailers still struggle to manage their merchandising and supply chain functions effectively. But to satisfy their target customers, retailers must make fundamental changes.

Consumer products (CP) companies are under increasing pressure to reduce time-to-market and the cost of introducing new products. As product lifecycles continue to decrease, compressing development cycles and accelerating new product introductions are becoming critical.

In 2003 when IBM last undertook a supply chain management study of this magnitude, the stand-out objective of leading supply chains was to increase profitability – while, at the same time, reducing costs and improving quality.

IBM Business Consulting Services completed the 2005 Value Chain Survey which identifies current practices, captures significant trends and establishes operational performance benchmarks in five key areas of Supply Chain Management.