Market driven supply chain is top issue for businesses

June 27, 2012 - PRLog -- In a poll conducted by Oliver Wight, 35% of senior supply chain executives from some of the world’s best known organisations claimed that having a ‘market driven’ supply chain is the most critical issue for their business in terms of supply chain excellence. A further 30% highlighted it as the second-most critical issue.

The poll was conducted during an hour-long live interactive webinar from Oliver Wight titled, ‘Supply Chain Excellence: Why it’s now business critical’. It asked delegates which aspects were first, second and third most critical for their business in terms of supply chain excellence. The top answer was to have a ‘market driven’ supply chain, which Oliver Wight Partner, Stewart Kelly, who co-hosted the webinar with colleague Jerry Shanahan, says demonstrates the importance of having an agile, responsive supply chain. “In today’s dynamic market, the ability to adapt to changes in customer demand is a key differentiator between those who are successful and those who are not.”

Other issues highlighted as being critical were working to ‘one set of numbers’ and having ‘formal partnerships with key customers and suppliers’ with 26% and 17% respectively. Supply chain segmentation, a current hot topic, was discussed at length in the webinar and was selected by a combined 22% of attendees as either a top, second or third most critical issue. Shanahan says, “It is likely these delegates have a more mature supply chain. As supply chains become increasingly complex and customers more demanding, companies that will thrive and prosper are those that effectively develop specific responses based on market or customer segmentation.”

Over 150 delegates from retail, service and manufacturing organisations all over the world registered for the webinar. The webinar broadcast live on Wednesday May 30th 2012. For more information contact Zoe Davis on +44 (0) 1452 397 209.