At the recent Supply Chain Leadership Forum in Chicago, we had a great opportunity to survey executives from some of the world’s leading high-technology, retail, consumer products and pharmaceutical companies.
But what really makes this survey unique is that we asked attendees what questions they wanted answered – in other words, what keeps them up at night? What do they really want to know to be fully prepared to improve their supply chain planning? The survey was given real-time via Zarca Interactive, and the results were presented the next day in a forum general session.
The question topics ranged from demand variability to logistics network designs to sourcing and economic recovery. Basically, they covered many of the key components found in any supply chain strategy today. I want to share a few significant results with you now in hopes that it will shed light on your own organization’s goals and needs:
41% say they think the economy will turn around and "The Great Comeback" will occur in the second quarter of 2010. However, more than 90% indicate that they have not developed a significant Comeback Plan or the initiatives to carry it out. See the two graphs below for details.
Half of respondents report that their companies are becoming more centralized toward a global supply chain structure, while 22% say there has been no change in their organizational structure to accommodate global demands.
50% say that their sourcing in Asia is moderate, and nearly 17% say their sourcing in Asia is significant. And by far, a majority (almost 70%) report that cost reduction is the main reason their company pursues Asian sourcing. More details in the graphs below.
These are interesting findings that give a broader view into global supply chains. How does your company stack up in these areas? Let me know when you think the economy will rebound, how you are handling global demands, and how much and why you are sourcing in Asia.
I will share more results of the Leadership Forum survey in a future post.
Go!Go!Go!
Jim
P.S. If you are interested in attending next year’s Supply Chain Leadership Forum, save the dates of August 31-September 1, 2010. Here’s the agenda we used for the 2009 forum, just an example of the range of topics and networking opportunities.