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Big Data Supply Chains: Sense, Plan, Learn - and then Act

Analyst Insight: Today's supply chains are efficient, and inflexible. Market conditions change, but planning continues based on historical information. Global supply chains need better planning, but traditional technologies are not up to the task. New technologies are emerging to help to fill the gap. We are entering the era of Big Data Supply Chains that will sense before responding and learn before acting. - Lora Cecere, partner, Altimeter Group

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Descartes Debuts Cloud-Based Security Filing for Air Forwarders

Descartes Systems Group has created a pair of cloud-based services to help air freight forwarders comply with U.S. and European security filing requirements.

ToolsGroup Offers Outsourced Service for Optimizing Inventory Targets

ToolsGroup, a vendor of supply-chain planning software, has created an outsourced service which feeds optimized inventory targets to customers.

Execs Still Want to Cut Costs, But Most No Longer Considering Layoffs

More than half of Fortune 1000 executives are focused on cost reduction strategies for delivering earnings and funding growth in 2012, according to a recent survey commissioned by Procurian, formerly ICG Commerce, and conducted by Harris Interactive. Administered to more than 300 Fortune 1000 executives, the survey finds that in the coming year 60 percent of respondents will focus on non-people-related cost reductions as the major source of funds for investments in innovation and growth.

Next Generation Moves Beyond Demand/Supply Balancing

Analyst Insight: It's been another year of exciting times within supply chain management, especially with regard to S&OP - as we continue to improve upon a 35-year-old process of balancing demand and supply. Approximately 85 percent of supply chain management professionals around the globe say they are exercising the S&OP process (informal polling of approximately1,000 execs over the past year). About 65 percent of those professionals are positioned in Stage I or II of AMR's (now Gartner) S&OP Maturity Model. While this is positive news, it's clear that globalization of our supply chains requires more than just S&OP basics. - Gregory L. Schlegel, adjunct professor, supply chain risk management, Lehigh University Graduate Program

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Driving Business Value Through S&OP and IBP

Analyst Insight: Economic challenges have kept sales and operations planning at the forefront of the supply chain executive's mind. Research has successfully identified the financial benefits that S&OP and integrated business planning (IBP) bring to the table: for example, the Aberdeen Group points to best-in-class companies and the two- to six-times benefits they gained in several key metrics, especially gross margin, in comparison with other companies that did not employ S&OP. Nari Viswanathan, vice president, solutions architecture, Steelwedge Software

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The On-Demand World: Bringing Supply Management Into the Future

Analysts' Insights: As companies plan and strategize for long-term effectiveness in supply management, they must focus on one aspect to truly derive value out of their procurement and sourcing efforts: evolution. Organizations globally must look to the future and adapt their reliance on technology as solutions evolve for the better. Christopher J. Dwyer, senior research analyst, Aberdeen As organizations continue to adjust their technology footprint into the next decade, the question around SaaS is not if but how SaaS will be leveraged within the procurement enterprise. Constantine G. Limberakis, senior research analyst, Aberdeen

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Warehouse Management Systems: State of the Art

Warehouse-management system (WMS) software is hardly new, but users are increasingly on the lookout for new applications that can be implemented more quickly and less painfully, says Diego Pantoja-Navajas, president and chief executive officer of Logfire. Among the new features they are exploring is the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, dubbed more recently cloud-based technology.

Importers, Manufacturers Highly Confident About Spring, Summer Retail Sales, Survey Says

Importers who sell to America's major retailers are preparing for a significant uptick in consumer spending this spring and summer, according to a recent survey conducted by Capital Business Credit (CBC), a non-bank lender that services the retail sector.

Global Transportation Solutions Help Companies Reduce Cost and Pay Invoices Quicker

Although organizations must connect suppliers and customers around the globe, managing worldwide supply chains can cause cost increases and operational challenges, However, Aberdeen Group's latest research, entitled 2012 Best Practices for Closing the Loop on Multinational Transportation Procure to Pay, identifies best-in-class behaviors that enable the top 20 percent of performers to reduce invoice cost, yet process and pay faster than competitors.

In Wake of Japanese Earthquake, Companies Ask if Supply Chains Can Be Too Lean, Study Finds

A year after the Japanese earthquake and resulting tsunami, supply chain managers are reconsidering just-in-time strategies, according to a survey released by the Business Continuity Institute.

Juggling Priorities for CIOs in Retail

Analyst Insight: Retailers in 2012 will continue to implement analytic engines. The last two years have seen retailers and CPG companies streamline and rethink their multichannel and merchandising strategies. Improved performance is a reflection of this analytics focus. In 2012, retailers will learn through direct customer engagement through mobile, social and web (omni-channel information) to create products, and market to customers based on shopper insights. - Ann Grackin, CEO, ChainLink Research

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