Top Supply Chain Initiatives: Lean, Demand-driven, Globalization

from sdcexec.com

But trading partner integration impeding effective supply chain performance, E2open survey finds; leaders shifting to multi-tier synchronization model

Redwood City, CA — April 27, 2007 — Industry leaders are shifting their operations model from a traditional manufacturing-centric model to a focus on synchronizing the extended supply network that includes multiple tiers of suppliers and multiple tiers of distribution to ensure that the right product is delivered to the right location at the right cost, according to the results of a new survey released by E2open.

New Research by Independent Sourcing Advisory Firm

from businesswire.com

The latest report from Everest Research Institute, the research arm of Global Sourcing advisory firm Everest Group, predicts robust growth for the Infrastructure Management Outsourcing (IMO) market and hails its popularity as “likely to invigorate the Infrastructure Outsourcing (IO) marketplace, as it strips the labor from assets in outsourcing deals.”

In the report entitled “Infrastructure Management Outsourcing — The Emergence, Adoption, and Growth of IMO,” Everest describes an “asset-light model” as providing “better alignment of supplier incentives with buyer interests. Buyers find it beneficial to own IT assets due to the inherent flexibility, control, and benefits of scale. New technologies also serve as a catalyst for the asset-light approach, due to the constant turnover of the asset base and the difficulty of predicting the technology road map. Finally, the emergence of Remote Infrastructure Management outsourcing (RIMO) played a key role in instituting asset light as a sustainable model.”

How Well Does SAP Stack Up to Their Own Vision in the SCM Area?

from arcweb.com

ARC is paying much more attention to the architecture of Supply Chain Management (SCM) solutions than we did a few years ago.  We have found in the Supply Chain Execution arena, for example, that certain types of solutions are more flexible and consequently have a better Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).  The architecture of a supply chain solution should matter not just to the IT department, but to supply chain personnel as well.

Associated Pharmacies, Inc. Implements SupplyScapes E-Pedigree Solution

from pharmaceuticalonline.com

SupplyScape Corporation recently announced that Associated Pharmacies, Inc. (API) has deployed SupplyScape’s E-Pedigree data management solution to improve regulatory compliance, supply chain security, and trading partner collaboration. API, a buying cooperative for more than 1,000 independent pharmacies spanning 40 states, provides pharmacy owners with the buying volume leverage to lower costs for brand and generic prescription drugs, as well as over-the-counter products. API now uses E-Pedigree to comply with regulations in all states with pedigree laws, such as Florida, and with the Federal Prescription Drug Marketing Act (PDMA).

U-M program to tap demand for experts in supply chain

from mlive.com

The University of Michigan is introducing a new master’s degree in a fast-growing discipline that faces an international skills shortage.

The master of supply chain management at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business will be a one-year, full-time program running from January to December, with the first year starting in January 2008.

Beyond Off-Shoring and Out-Sourcing: Supply Chain Imperatives

from pharmalive.com

After off-shoring, outsourcing and in-sourcing, what’s left for increasing supply chain efficiencies? Best- in-class companies realize it is back to the basics for companies seeking further cost reductions from the supply chain, including innovations for strict adherence to cycle times, fill rates and other performance targets through the application of state-of-the-art software and internet tools.

Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation expands with Supply Chain Management software

from publictechnology.net

Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation (YPO), the largest formally constituted public sector consortia providing goods and services primarily to the Education and Local Authority sectors in the UK, has adopted the G.O.L.D. Supply Chain Management software from solutions provider, Aldata, to support its wholesale operations.

YPO can be described as a combination of a wholesaler and a mail order company supplying around 15,000 schools and 35,000 customers over all, which include the Police, local authorities, prisons, museums and fire services. Each customer has its own particular requirements and ways of ordering, ranging from letter, fax, telephone, Internet and some EDI.

Manufacturing Success via Supply Chain Management and Suppliers’ Choice Awards

from earthtimes.org

Achieving manufacturing success via tight, cohesive supply chain management and recognizing Original Equipment Manufacturers that best encourage supplier innovations are the focus of the 2007 Automotive News Manufacturing Conference, May 16 – 18 at the Renaissance Center Hotel in Nashville, TN.

The Seamless Supply Chain: The managerial culture and technical tools that make for high-quality, high-productivity manufacturing is the theme of the bi- annual conference, which will spotlight factory floor coordination and communication not only in state-of-the-art technology, but also state-of-the- art planning and organizational ideas.

Staples Turns to Blue Sky Logistics

from sdcexec.com

Coppell, TX — April 25, 2007 — Office supply giant Staples has named Blue Sky Logistics to be its supply chain visibility provider, inking a perpetual agreement for an enterprise license to use the solution provider’s visibility products across distribution transactions in its supply chain.

Central to these products is Insight, Blue Sky’s visibility dashboard that is designed to monitor critical decision information at all management levels. Insight is a Web-native application that uses a company’s real-time data to track and monitor key performance metrics and trends.

Genpact announces SolPro™ procurement solution

from businesswire.com

Genpact, a global provider of high-quality business services and technology solutions, today announced the release of its SolPro™ procurement solution that will help Global 2000 businesses significantly reduce costs and risks by optimizing sourcing, procurement and payable processes.

Genpact’s Procure-to-Pay Solutions (SolPro) on SAP platform is a suite of indirect procurement tools, based on SAP® SRM, that offers an integrated, end-to-end service that can quickly and effectively address a number of pain points facing global corporations, such as inadequate controllership, limited buy consolidation, poor spend visibility, process variability and contract leakage. “SolPro gives customers a roadmap to optimize procure-to-pay processes by right-sourcing across ITO, BPO and high-end spend-management services,” said Manish Soman, senior vice president, Genpact Software Solutions. Genpact currently supports and manages procure-to-pay processes for some of the world’s largest companies including GE.