Supply Chain Management Review

Robert A. Rudzki

Survey Results - I
January 29, 2008

The survey results have been tabulated. Some of the results may surprise you.

First, keep in mind that the survey pool was drawn from readers of Supply Chain Management Review and visitors to this website. That itself creates the potential for some interesting results, since arguably the readers of SCMR are among the elite of the supply management profession. To say it another way, their responses might be more positive than the general procurement audience.

To illustrate that point, consider this demographic: approximately 60% of the respondents rated their organization as “top quartile” in its industry, while approximately 40% rated their organization “middle of the pack.” No survey respondent characterized their organization as “bottom quartile.” So, right off the bat, our survey drew interest from better performing companies.

Here are some high-level results:

·         47% of the respondents agreed with the statement that their “top management really understands and appreciates the enormous potential of modern supply management.” This is higher than I see when raising the same topic with conference attendees.

·         However, only 24% of the respondents agreed with the statement that their “top management understands how to achieve that enormous potential – they know how to build a comprehensive transformation roadmap.”

These two topics, as mentioned in my earlier postings (see in particular the October and November, 2007 postings), are among the most fundamental challenges facing supply management leaders. How you address those challenges can determine not only your professional success, but the bottom-line success of your organization.

More survey results in my next posting.

Posted by Robert A. Rudzki on January 29, 2008 | Comments (0)