According to AMR, a Boston-based research company, U.S. manufacturers expect IT spending to grow over 9% in 2005.
A large percentage will be spent on software that helps integrate supply chains. At the recent National Manufacturing Week conference in Chicago, AMR announced a new research initiative into how manufacturers can reduce the $3 trillion of inventory and the 20% order error rate in both U.S. and European supply chains.
With more nodes, domestic and offshore, in the supply chain manufacturers must create flexibility that can respond to customer demands. AMR's research will focus on SNO, supply network operations, which is its term for how manufacturing will be incorporated into DDSN, demand-driven supply networks.
