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Business attitudes across the globe — jarred by the European sovereign debt crisis, sagging consumer confidence and continuing market fluctuations — are vacillating between confidence and caution, and volatility is likely to remain a permanent feature of the global business environment. While the financial crisis revealed key vulnerabilities of an interconnected global economy, it has also provided a needed catalyst in helping organizations create more dynamic, resilient and responsive supply chains to. A clear majority of leading industrial companies still see cost as their main priority while managing supply chains, despite emerging evidence that excessive focus on cost has damaged relationships. A majority of the leading industrial manufacturing companies have created supply chain models that appropriately balance agility, sensitivity to risk, quality and cost. They plan to enter into more long-term contracts with fewer suppliers — with cost being the key driver for much of the collaboration. Read our report to find out how leading companies are adapting their business models and employing new supply chain tactics to manage risk while capitalizing on opportunities.

Improved Forecasting Cited as Key Priority for Chief Supply Chain Officer Posted on: Thu, 04 Nov 2010 08:20:00 EDT Symbols: HHS CHICAGO, Nov. 4, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- John Galt Solutions, the leading provider of affordable planning solutions for the consumer-driven supply chain, today announced the publication of a new study from Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS | PowerRating), providing the Chief Supply Chain Officer a prioritized list of best practices within supply chain planning. The report, Strategic Supply Chain Planning: T

Improved Forecasting Cited as Key Priority for Chief Supply Chain Officer Posted on: Thu, 04 Nov 2010 08:20:00 EDT Symbols: HHS CHICAGO, Nov. 4, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- John Galt Solutions, the leading provider of affordable planning solutions for the consumer-driven supply chain, today announced the publication of a new study from Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS | PowerRating

The Stanford Global Supply Chain Management Forum is a leading research institute in partnership with industry and the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University that advances the theory and practice of excellence in global supply chain management. Working with approximately 25 industrial organizations, the Forum is actively engaged with a broad cross-section of leading and emerging industries to identify, document, research, develop, and disseminate best practices in a dynamic and increasingly global economic business environment.

Companies across industries are adjusting to volatile market conditions and reduced demand, leading executives to focus on cost reduction. The procurement and supply chain function serves as a key lever for improved cost performance, and many companies have launched initiatives focused on cost optimization.

Look Beyond Strategic Sourcing Companies often focus their efforts simply on strategic sourcing, but strategic sourcing alone cannot drive sustainable benefits. A limited focus on strategic sourcing may initially reduce costs for the buyer, but it may not ensure long-term realization of those benefits. More importantly, if executed in a manner where cost is the only focus, strategic sourcing can result in damage to a supplier relationship that may become critical in times of supply constraints. Instead, the focus should be on enhancing long-term value obtained from suppliers rather than on simply finding the lowest price.