•  Plus

So, you want a strategic supply chain?

Industry leaders view their supply chains as a strategic weapon. Is your organization ready to make the leap? Answer these seven key questions to discover the answer.

Subscriber: Log Out

Sorry, but your login has failed. Please recheck your login information and resubmit. If your subscription has expired, renew here.

This is an excerpt of the original article. It was written for the September-October 2018 edition of Supply Chain Management Review. The full article is available to current subscribers.

September-October 2018

If it’s September, it must be time for Gartner’sTop 25 supply chains, the lead article in this issue of Supply Chain Management Review. As I was reading this year’s contribution from Gartner, I was struck by the number of the Top 25 that have launched NextGen Supply Chain initiatives, using Big Data, artificial intelligence (AI), robotic process automation (RPA), machine learning and the like to digitize their supply chains. It made me wonder: Is the rest of the pack falling behind or are they ready to follow the leaders?
Browse this issue archive.
Already a subscriber? Access full edition now.

Need Help?
Contact customer service
847-559-7581   More options
Not a subscriber? Start your magazine subscription.

Every year, Gartner publishes its supply chain “Top 25.” The list includes firms such as Apple, P&G, Amazon, Unilever and Inditex (the owner of Zara). Each has succeeded in using their supply
chains not simply to drive down costs but, more importantly, to improve overall performance. In other words, these firms discovered that their supply chains are effective and efficient strategic weapons. For many managers, this goal is becoming their Holy Grail—that of turning their supply chains into truly strategic weapons.

That’s easier said than done, and not every organization is ready for the transformation. We examine this challenge by framing it with seven key questions that you, as supply chain managers, must be willing to ask. These questions, based on numerous years of research and experience working with leading edge supply chain companies combined with results generated by past empirical studies such as the “Supply Chain Management: Beyond The Horizon,” a joint study sponsored by the department of supply chain management and Michigan State University and APICS to clarify what is meant by strategic supply chain management. The questions address whether your firm is ready to make the transition from a conventional operational price-driven supply chain to a strategic, value-driven supply chain. In asking these questions, you will develop a better, more rounded understanding of strategic supply chain management in a way that can be immediately applied in your firm.

1. Who are your firm’s key customers?

According to Gartner, top supply chains “are designed starting with what brings value to customers and then back through the supply network.” But, remember that not all customers are created equal. Some are more important than others. It is these latter customers that firms strive to profitably delight. These customers drive how your supply chain ecosystem is designed, deployed and managed. If your firm strives to treat all customers as equally important, two negative results can be expected.

This complete article is available to subscribers only. Log in now for full access or start your PLUS+ subscription for instant access.

SC
MR

Sorry, but your login has failed. Please recheck your login information and resubmit. If your subscription has expired, renew here.

From the September-October 2018 edition of Supply Chain Management Review.

September-October 2018

If it’s September, it must be time for Gartner’sTop 25 supply chains, the lead article in this issue of Supply Chain Management Review. As I was reading this year’s contribution from Gartner, I was struck by the…
Browse this issue archive.
Access your online digital edition.
Download a PDF file of the September-October 2018 issue.

Every year, Gartner publishes its supply chain “Top 25.” The list includes firms such as Apple, P&G, Amazon, Unilever and Inditex (the owner of Zara). Each has succeeded in using their supply
chains not simply to drive down costs but, more importantly, to improve overall performance. In other words, these firms discovered that their supply chains are effective and efficient strategic weapons. For many managers, this goal is becoming their Holy Grail—that of turning their supply chains into truly strategic weapons.

That's easier said than done, and not every organization is ready for the transformation. We examine this challenge by framing it with seven key questions that you, as supply chain managers, must be willing to ask. These questions, based on numerous years of research and experience working with leading edge supply chain companies combined with results generated by past empirical studies such as the “Supply Chain Management: Beyond The Horizon,” a joint study sponsored by the department of supply chain management and Michigan State University and APICS to clarify what is meant by strategic supply chain management. The questions address whether your firm is ready to make the transition from a conventional operational price-driven supply chain to a strategic, value-driven supply chain. In asking these questions, you will develop a better, more rounded understanding of strategic supply chain management in a way that can be immediately applied in your firm.

1. Who are your firm's key customers?

According to Gartner, top supply chains “are designed starting with what brings value to customers and then back through the supply network.” But, remember that not all customers are created equal. Some are more important than others. It is these latter customers that firms strive to profitably delight. These customers drive how your supply chain ecosystem is designed, deployed and managed. If your firm strives to treat all customers as equally important, two negative results can be expected.

SC
MR

Latest Podcast
Talking Supply Chain: Visibility and external manufacturing
Gartner Supply Chain’s Sam New joined the Talking Supply Chain podcast to talk about how business can overcome the challenges of achieving…
Listen in

Subscribe

Supply Chain Management Review delivers the best industry content.
Subscribe today and get full access to all of Supply Chain Management Review’s exclusive content, email newsletters, premium resources and in-depth, comprehensive feature articles written by the industry's top experts on the subjects that matter most to supply chain professionals.
×

Search

Search

Sourcing & Procurement

Inventory Management Risk Management Global Trade Ports & Shipping

Business Management

Supply Chain TMS WMS 3PL Government & Regulation Sustainability Finance

Software & Technology

Artificial Intelligence Automation Cloud IoT Robotics Software

The Academy

Executive Education Associations Institutions Universities & Colleges

Resources

Podcasts Webcasts Companies Visionaries White Papers Special Reports Premiums Magazine Archive

Subscribe

SCMR Magazine Newsletters Magazine Archives Customer Service

Press Releases

Press Releases Submit Press Release