Hi-Tech Supply Chain Executives Examine Risk Strategies in San Francisco

Supply Chain Executives from companies including HP, Lenovo, Avnet, Cisco and Infineon will be coming together in San Francisco on October 23rd at the 6th Annual Hi-Tech & Electronics Supply Chain Summit.

Chief among the topics experts will discussing are:

· Mitigating Risk in your Multi-Tiered Supply Chain
· Using Integrated Business Planning (IBP) to Respond Quickly to Rapid Changes in Customer Demand
· Reverse Logistics - From Cost-Centre to Profit-Centre
· The Brazil Conundrum: Key Metrics to Compliantly and Economically Expand into Brazil

The timing of the event coincides with other research done on the High-tech supply chain.

According to UPS’s annual “Change in the (Supply) Chain” survey, conducted by IDC Manufacturing Insights,  there is renewed optimism for U.S. exports.

The survey targets U.S.-based senior-level supply chain decision makers in the high-tech/electronics industry. The survey is designed to uncover top business and supply chain trends driving change in the high-tech/electronics industry. The 2012 survey focused specifically on exporting and was conducted in May through July 2012.

Although North America is anticipated to remain the largest high-tech consumer market over the next three to five years, demand for high-tech products is expected to decrease by seven percent in the region while demand in other markets is expected to increase, in some regions by double-digit percentages.

Specifically, executives report plans to increase sales/fulfillment in India, the Middle East and Africa by 22 percent each and in Brazil by 18 percent. Sales/fulfillment in other South American regions is expected to increase 19 percent. Eastern Europe (15 percent), Korea (13 percent), China (8 percent) and other Asian nations (8 percent) also rank on the list of top high-tech consumer demand markets.

“The anticipated shift in consumer market demand for high-tech goods brings opportunities and challenges for high-tech companies,” said Ken Rankin, high-tech marketing director at UPS. “Global demand will continue to grow in new and existing markets, causing supply chain executives to shift not only their fulfillment operations but also their sourcing strategies to serve those markets. We have already begun to see such a shift as companies look to India and Brazil as key markets not only for fulfillment but for production as well.”

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