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.

About Oliver Wight

Oliver Wight has a 40 year track record of delivering business improvement to some of the world’s best-known organisations. With a team of professionals offering a wealth of experience, Oliver Wight is the largest consultancy of its type, with offices throughout Europe, South Africa, North and South America, and the Asia Pacific region. We believe that sustainable business improvement can’t be delivered by external consultants but only by our clients’ own people, so unlike other consultancy firms, we transfer our knowledge to them, helping deliver performance levels and financial results that last.

Integrated Business Planning
At the leading edge of management thinking and practice, our Integrated Business Planning (IBP) model lies at the heart of our clients’ journey to outstanding business performance. Oliver Wight are the originators of sales and operations planning (S&OP) and IBP can most simply be described as advanced S&OP. However, unlike S&OP, IBP brings a truly strategic perspective, integrating diverse processes - in the extended supply chain, product and customer portfolios, customer demand and strategic planning - into one seamless management process.

Supply Chain Design and Optimization
Oliver Wight supply chain design and optimization allows organisations to understand their position within the extended supply chain; identify where value is being created and destroyed; develop profitable relationships with suppliers customers and consumers; and optimize their supply chain (however complex) for the ultimate in customer service and business performance.

Performance Benchmarking for Supply Chain
Oliver Wight Performance Benchmarking provides a qualitative and quantitative assessment of supply chain performance, allowing organisations to identify opportunities for improving customer service at the same time as dramatically reducing supply chain costs.

Meeting the Class A Standard
The Oliver Wight Class A Checklist is the longest standing and most successful business assessment tool. The latest, Sixth Edition, raises the bar, and sets ever more demanding standards for companies on their journey to business excellence and the Oliver Wight Class A standard.

Zoe Davis (Marketing Manager)
Oliver Wight EAME

The Willows
The Steadings Business Centre
Maisemore
Gloucester, UK
GL2 8EY

+44 (0) 1452 397200
www.oliverwight-eame.com
zoe.davis@oliverwight-eame.com

This release was published on openPR.