White Papers & Reports - Resource Center

Introducing the Five-Stage Demand-Driven Maturity Model for Supply Chain Leaders

Gartner Inc.

Hundreds of companies have relied on Gartner's demand-driven maturity model in their efforts to improve their supply chains. Now, Gartner adds granular detail through a five-stage model that reflects the…
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Big Tent S&OP: Expanding the Scope of a Critical Process

E2open

Successful companies are rethinking their traditional sales and operations planning (S&OP) process and focusing on closing the gap between supply chain planning and execution. Why now? Because although…
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Social Technology in the Supply Chain: Integration, Collaboration, Community, and Productivity

March 1, 2013 | E2open

Social technologies are the subject of a great deal of buzz—and now, some serious research as well. We have all seen numerous “game-changing” technologies come and go without having a significant impact on the way we do business. Are social technologies yet another disappointing example? Or do they represent an opportunity for real, measurable increases in productivity and profitability? In this white paper, we consider the ways in which social technologies can be integrated with current supply chain management systems to reduce information latency, enable better decision making, and produce higher service levels.
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Beyond the Four Walls: ERP and the Trading Network

February 14, 2013 | E2open

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems have always done a good job of managing the internal business processes of an organization. It’s what they were built to do. But in today's global trading networks, business processes—and their associated risks—extend far beyond the traditional four walls of the enterprise, calling on the coordination and cooperation of hundreds, or even thousands, of organizations around the globe.

In this white paper, we explore the widespread changes that have produced a fundamentally different marketplace and business model—and the emergence of a new type of solution, one that leverages existing investments already made in ERP systems to enable unprecedented levels of supply chain visibility and collaboration. View Now »
Supply Chain Is Risky Business: What Can You Do About It?

November 9, 2012 | E2open

Demand spikes. Disaster strikes. Things don't always go according to plan. So who’s responsible for managing the risk? Ultimately, successful risk management means aligning all processes and participants in a supply chain in order to facilitate collaborative planning, decision making, and execution. This easy-to-read eBook offers five ways to improve risk mitigation capabilities across both your company and your trading partner network. Share it with others in your organization and in your trading partner community to get everyone on the same page. View Now »
Managing Supply Chain Disruption: 2012 Survey Results

September 30, 2012 | Gatepoint Research

Between February and September 2012, Gatepoint Research invited selected executives to participate in a survey themed Strategies for Managing Supply Chain Disruption. This report reveals the observations and conclusions of that survey. Download it now to learn what impact, if any, disruptions are having on the processes and strategies of today's leading supply chains. View Now »
The Chief Supply Chain Officer Report 2012

September 27, 2012 | SCM World

Nearly 1,400 practitioners participated in SCM World's Chief Supply Chain Officer survey for 2012, and the results are revealed in this comprehensive report authored by Dr. Hau Lee, Chairman, SCM World, and Thoma Professor of Operations, Information and Technology, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Kevin O'Marah, Head of Faculty, and Geraint John, SVP Research, at SCM World.

The report dives into the areas of digital and e-commerce, social and environmental responsibility, risk management, and talent management to uncover how supply chain excellence is delivering top-line value, not just operational excellence. View Now »
Supply Chain Segmentation 2.0: What’s Next

August 1, 2012 | E2open

Learn the latest best practices for simpler, smarter supply chain segmentation, including new ways to create customer clusters and analyze cost tradeoffs between profitability and customer needs.

Supply chain leaders know that one size does not fit all—that no one supply chain can maximize company profitability while still meeting the divergent needs of a broad range of customers. In this white paper, we look beyond the fundamentals and outline the latest advancements in supply chain segmentation that make designing and implementing your strategy easier and more effective.

Inside, you'll discover:
• An improved method for mapping customer attributes and segmenting customers into clusters
• A different way to think about cost analysis and the tradeoffs between profitability and customer requirements
• Recommendations for improving customer engagement and supplier alignment to maximize success
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What Do I Really Need to Know About Supply Chain Control Towers?

July 6, 2012 | E2open

Supply Chain Control Towers are being touted as "the next big thing" in global manufacturing. But with all the hype out there, how do you know where to start, or even if a Control Tower is right for you. This complimentary eBook answers five questions to help you separate fact from fiction: What's all the hype about Control Towers? Is a Control Tower for me? What challenges can I solve with a Control Tower? What will a Control Tower actually get me? What does it take to build a Control Tower? View Now »
The social economy: Unlocking value and productivity through social technologies

July 5, 2012 | McKinsey & Company

This report from McKinsey Global Institute explores the potential economic impact of social technologies in four commercial sectors: consumer packaged goods, retail financial services, advanced manufacturing, and professional services. These technologies, which create value by improving productivity across the value chain, could potentially contribute $900 billion to $1.3 trillion in annual value across the four sectors. MGI estimates that companies have an opportunity to raise the productivity of interaction workers—high-skill knowledge workers, including managers and professionals—by 20 to 25 percent. View Now »
Filling the Gaps: Managing Parts Shortages Inside the Execution Window

May 9, 2012 | E2open

Demand is unpredictable, and supply can be disrupted by a host of factors, from unanticipated demand spikes, to natural disasters, to geopolitical upheaval. You can deal with critical parts shortages by either (A) re-planning, which can cost you time you don't have, or (B) making your original plans work with the assets you already have in motion. In this white paper, we examine the problems posed by critical parts shortages and describe the technology and business processes needed to expeditiously and profitably solve these problems. We will discuss how to identify parts shortages by gathering the necessary data from across the supply chain, how to obtain urgently needed supplies of short components, and how to analyze the potential impact of varying decisions on profitability and customer service. View Now »
Collaborative Execution: Speed, innovation and profitability

March 26, 2012 | SCM World

What does collaboration really mean? What are the barriers to and supposed benefits of good collaboration? SCM World interviewed 374 supply chain, sourcing, and operations executives to uncover the truth. This comprehensive report examines the concept of collaboration in theory and in practice. Importantly, it identifies where companies accrue the most value from driving collaborative practice across the supply chain ecosystem, discussing impact on cost efficiency, risk mitigation, and, ultimately, profitability. The commentary also engages the SCM World community’s perspectives on barriers to collaboration, accounting for a lack of information and connectivity across partners, as well as inefficiency of issue resolution. View Now »