Due to an increase in the outsourcing of supply chain processes and solutions, organizations are losing visibility at a time when agility and responsiveness are a must for the customer-driven supply chain, according to a new study by Aberdeen Group.
"Manufacturing and demand-supply networks are continuing to grow in complexity. Because of this complexity, it has become difficult for companies to stay informed and in control of every stage of the supply chain lifecycle," said Viktoriya Sadlovska, analyst and co-author of the report. "At the same time, these organizations are working to move towards a more customer-driven supply chain. Therefore it is critical for companies to better align their outsourcing and customer-service efforts to attain agility and enable better responsiveness to minimize supply chain risk."
Key findings from survey respondents indicate that:
- The top strategic focus for 2009 was on customer-related processes
- When combating the multi-enterprise visibility challenge, respondents are more likely to focus on collaborative approaches
- Effective information management is absolutely key for success in today`s complex demand-supply networks
- Having granular visibility that extends both upstream and downstream the
supply chain allows companies to achieve operational excellence
According to report authors, visibility plays a big role in day-to-day routine supply chain management tasks, historic supply chain performance analysis and long-term planning. Additionally, a centralized supply chain organization, with globally defined strategy has both global and regional centers of excellence, and is an important organizational element for managing today's networks with a high degree of process outsourcing. Best-in-class companies have repeatedly shown to have adopted this capability.
To view the report, "Multi-Enterprise Manufacturing: The Role of Visibility and Collaboration in Driving Responsiveness," visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=5788.
