New study finds that companies must take a comprehensiveapproach to demand-driven supply chains

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2009-01-22 08:39

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Hong Kong--(뉴스와이어)--In a slumping economy, companies need to take great care in ensuring their supply chains are performing at peak efficiency. But the principles of lean manufacturing and inventory control that were once considered best practice are no longer enough. Today, companies must consider their supply chains from beginning to end—from forecasting demand for products to sourcing components and then distributing the finished product to customers. This is the main finding of a new briefing paper, The demand-driven supply chain: a holistic approach. The report is published by the Economist Intelligence Unit and sponsored by Oracle.

Companies must use today’s demand-driven supply chains to apply the full array of levers at their disposal—including pricing, sales incentives, promotions and other marketing tools—to stimulate demand for their highest margin products and to maximise the amount of business they do with their most profitable customers. This requires a collaborative approach between sales and operations that brings both organisations together to develop a comprehensive strategy. Comprehensive supply-chain management also requires:

· Improved demand-forecasting tools to help refine demand forecasts; and
· Integration of new demand-management tools with existing supply-chain and logistics systems to allow visibility of supply and demand throughout the network.

“Executives interviewed for this report agree that having a solid change-management plan is needed to upgrade the supply chain,” says Debra D’Agostino, Deputy Director in the Americas, Industry and Management Research at the Economist Intelligence Unit. “And it is crucial to obtain the enthusiastic support of top executives.”

The demand-driven supply chain: a holistic approach is available free of charge at: www.eiu.com/oracle/supplychainmanagement

About the Economist Intelligence Unit

The Economist Intelligence Unit is the business information arm of The Economist Group, publisher of The Economist. Through our global network of more than 650 analysts and contributors, we continuously assess and forecast political, economic and business conditions in more than 200 countries. As the world's leading provider of country intelligence, we help executives make better business decisions by providing timely, reliable and impartial analysis on worldwide market trends and business strategies.

웹사이트: http://www.eiu.com