Study by AEB and DHBW examines benefits and success factors of supply chain collaboration

ROYAL LEAMINGTON SPA, U.K. - July 29, 2015 - PRLog -- Opportunities for collaboration extend along the entire supply chain with all its different partners. But which supply chain partners are already engaging in this type of collaboration? What expectations do they bring to the table? And what are the critical factors driving the success of collaboration in global trade and logistics? These and other questions are the subject of the third edition of the Global Trade Management Agenda, a joint study of AEB and the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW) in Stuttgart, Germany. Both partners invite supply chain professionals to take part in the survey, which runs until 10^th September 2015. The research also includes an examination of the core function of international supply chains and the questionnaire is available at https://survey.aeb.com/index.php/328177/lang-en.

Focus on collaboration in the supply chain

Collaboration in the supply chain is a mixed bag. Successful collaboration promises competitive advantages such as time savings and cost reductions, but it also involves risks that cannot be ignored – loss of control or expertise, for example. How do businesses around the world assess the pros and cons, and what does collaboration in global trade and logistics look like in practice today?

“We hope our study will bring greater understanding to cross-enterprise collaboration and illustrate how it is being practiced in the business world today,” explains Dr. Dirk H. Hartel, a professor at DHBW Stuttgart. “We also examine the overall risks and opportunities inherent in supply chain collaboration, the limitations that businesses experience, and how successful implementation is defined,” adds Dr. Ulrich Lison, AEB’s global trade expert.

The study also focuses on the following questions: What will be the top issues overall in global trade and logistics in the coming year? How important are goals such as cost reduction, legal protection and shorter lead times? And how well positioned do businesses see themselves in these areas?

Logistics managers, supply chain professionals and everyone working in the fields of customs and exports in companies of any size and sector are invited to complete the online questionnaire by 10^th September 2015. All participants will receive a copy of the study (due to be published at the end of the year) and automatically take part in a raffle to win one of several prizes, including a smartwatch and business-themed audio books.

Background on collaboration in the supply chain:

Collaboration is a targeted, solution-oriented cooperation between companies. The aim is the coordinated, cross-enterprise optimisation of processes and workflows in which each partner retains entrepreneurial freedom. In this way, collaboration transcends ordinary partnership in the supply chain.

Global Trade Management Agenda series

The Global Trade Management Agenda series is a joint project by AEB and Dr. Hartel of DHBW Stuttgart. The studies examine the global trade and logistics trends of the year ahead. Each study also focuses on an additional theme: Last year’s study, published in late 2014, looked at the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). This year’s study focuses on supply chain collaboration. To download a free copy of last year’s study, visit http://www.aeb.com/uk/media/global-trade-management-study-2015.php.

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Contacts

For further information, photos or interview requests, please contact Andrea Krug, Krug Communications Ltd, tel. +44 (0)7740 245 867, email: andrea@krugcomms.com.

Notes to Editors

About AEB (www.aeb.com/uk)

AEB is one of Europe's leading providers of supply chain logistics software, consultancy, and services and has been delivering solutions to customers for over thirty five years. The company has over 5,000 customers worldwide, supported by offices in the UK, Germany, Singapore, Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, France, and the US. AEB’s core product - ASSIST4 - is the comprehensive solution suite for all logistics processes in global business. ASSIST4 offers a complete set of business services for end-to-end logistics, including international goods movements, making it possible to standardise and automate business processes in supply chain execution. ASSIST4 also creates transparency and provides a reliable basis for making the right decisions about the planning, monitoring, control, and continual optimisation of supply networks - even beyond the boundaries of the business. The ASSIST4 suite offers full functionality via a wide range of modules including Visibility & Collaboration Platform, Order Management, Warehouse Management, Transport & Freight Management, Customs Management, and Compliance & Risk Management.

About DHBW Stuttgart (www.dhbw-stuttgart.de)

Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW), with some 8,000 students, is among the largest universities in the Stuttgart and Upper Neckar regions of Germany: The Schools of Business, Engineering, and Social Work collaborate with about 2,500 carefully selected companies and social institutions – dual partners – to offer more than 40 nationally and internationally approved Bachelor courses. Their most important feature is that students regularly switch between theoretical phases at the university and practical phases at the dual training partner. In the fall of 2011, DHBW Stuttgart began also offering advanced work-study graduate programs in the form of dual Master programs at all its schools. The dual studies are designed to meet the actual requirements of the job market and of the businesses and social institutions, guaranteeing a unique fusion of theory and practice. DHBW is a nationally and internationally approved and accredited university with an exceptionally high level of quality that is reflected in the 80 percent average placement rate of its graduates.