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Economic uncertainty, fluctuating fuel prices, increased safety and social regulation, escalating customer expectations, globalization, improved technologies, labor and equipment shortages, a changing transportation service industry…today’s managers are faced with an array of challenges and opportunities that contrast dramatically with those of a decade ago.

Regardless of external conditions, however, managers must encourage their firms to avoid the temptation of making transportation decisions with an eye toward short-term gain. Rather, they need to view the total cost and total value provided by the function not only in relation to operating expenses but also in terms of the impact on customer service and inventory reduction. The influence on total economic value added is significant.

The comprehensive yearly study on the economic strength and overall health of Silicon Valley reveals that rapid economic growth in other countries, coupled with California’s legislative gridlock, is draining the lifeblood of funding and foreign talent from Silicon Valley, leaving recovery in a "new phase of uncertainty."

Our experts predict several areas of the industry will experience significant growth over the next five years. Reverse outsourcing, verticalization, emerging markets, business analytics, healthcare, transportation, and ERP are some of the areas that will enjoy increased attention.

The Supply Chain Management Center at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business is bringing together top industry and government leaders to address inefficiencies in today's supply chain and come up with innovative ways to manage risk. The center spearheaded a recently released book, "X-Treme Supply Chain Management: A Guide to Mastering Business Volatility," and yesterday hosted an executive roundtable discussion among senior government and business leaders on the implications of the global economic crisis for supply chain management.

Edited by Boyson, center co-director Professor Thomas Corsi and senior fellow Lisa Harrington, the book is a collaboration with CSCMP and co-contributors from some of the industry's leading corporations and organizations. The book also includes a companion tool kit, developed by Smith's Supply Chain Management Center and Interactive Learning Solutions Inc., that provides practitioners with simulations and spreadsheets to manage volatility in their supply chains. Sterling Commerce, an IBM company, is the project's technology sponsor and a co-contributor. Published by Routledge, the book was introduced on the West Coast last week at CSCMP's annual global conference in San Diego.

The United States is saddled with a high unemployment rate and many experienced people are seeking jobs right now. Even so, companies will confront a serious shortage of supply chain talent, warns the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Center for Transportation and Logistics in a white paper titled "Are You Prepared for the Supply Chain Talent Crisis?"

The supply chain talent shortage will stem from a combination of layoffs and a changing skill set needed for the job. Companies that shed staff during the depth of the economic downturn may soon need to rehire practitioners, some of whom will have found work in other areas or at competing firms, analysts wrote.

The report notes that finding qualified individuals remains challenging, even though the supply of candidates has grown due to the increase in more specialized supply chain management programs at colleges and universities. One way to help address the talent shortage, the report's authors suggest, would be to raise the level of awareness of the profession in order to encourage more young people to enter the field.

Press room Press releases IBM Announces New Energy-Management, Sustainability Solutions for Smarter Enterprises

IBM (NYSE: IBM) today added new software and services to its expanding portfolio of solutions aimed at creating sustainable enterprises and smarter urban infrastructures. The new offerings, piloted in-house by IBM, help owners and managers of commercial buildings leverage the latest efficiency technologies and compliance systems to deliver economic, operational and environmental benefits.

IBM also announced that Autodesk has joined its industry alliance, Green Sigma Coalition, a move that can help the group improve buildings’ sustainability from blueprints to daily operations. Additionally, IBM announced an expanded relationship with Schneider Electric, global specialist in energy management, to deliver new combined offerings that monitor and reduce energy use to make buildings smarter.

Worldwide industrial services company Harsco Corporation (NYSE: HSC) has selected IBM (NYSE: IBM) as its consulting partner for a business transformation initiative designed to create significant operating and cost efficiencies throughout Harsco's global supply chain, the companies announced today. 

"The intelligent supply chain of the future aligns perfectly with our One Harsco objectives for creating long-term strategic advantage as a more globally integrated and optimized enterprise," said Harsco Chairman and CEO Salvatore D. Fazzolari. "Working with IBM gives us access to one of the premier leaders in this field. Moreover, when completed at the end of 2010, we expect this project to improve our Return on Invested Capital and also contribute to Harsco's Economic Value Added (EVA®) growth."