FOCUS on…

Supply chain networks have undergone enormous changes in the past decade, morphing from a fixed set of vendor relationships to a flexible and ever-changing network of suppliers scattered around the globe. Recent events have highlighted the inherent risk involved in the interconnected nature of this emergent new world, as events in one location can have a cascading impact on the manufacturing operations in others.

Political upheaval in a single country or lax quality control by just one provider can lead to production and safety issues in businesses far removed. At the same time, mounting concerns over global warming have led to a new focus on smarter technologies and sparked an increased awareness of the environmental impacts of supply chain choices. Finally, a series of international treaties and agreements over the past decade have made regulatory compliance issues much more complex.

As a result of these issues, organizations are under mounting pressure to increase efficiency and reduce risk while enabling visibility, traceability and sustainability throughout the supply chain. A recent IBM survey¹ of nearly 400 supply chain executives revealed that the top five challenges they are facing are: visibility, managing risk, customer intimacy, cost containment, and globalization.

Meeting competitive challenges with smart supply chain solutions

IBM Research and IBM Global Business Services are working together to help clients address these complex supply chain issues. IBM’s deep expertise in predictive modeling, optimization and analytics—combined with an array of tools and technologies developed in IBM Research labs—are helping IBM clients develop smarter supply chains.

Learn how IBM Research and IBM Global Business Services are helping clients:

     Increase supply chain efficiency and reduce risk

     Increase supply chain visibility and sustainability

References

¹IBM Global Chief Supply Chain Officer Study: The Smarter Supply Chain of the Future, IBM Global Services, February 2009.