Secrets of Top Performers Revealed

Aug. 1, 2008
LAS VEGAS-Supply chain executives attending the Supply Chain Operations Private Exposition (SCOPE) in Las Vegas got a glimpse of some of the best practices

LAS VEGAS-Supply chain executives attending the Supply Chain Operations Private Exposition (SCOPE) in Las Vegas got a glimpse of some of the best practices employed by AMR Research's Supply Chain Top 25.

Senior Editor Mary Aichlmayr, reporting from the show floor, says Roddy Martin, general manager and vice president at AMR Research, presented the list of top-performing consumer goods companies Aug. 20 at SCOPE.

Published every year by AMR Research, the Supply ChainTop 25 recognizes companies that demonstrate leadership in demand-driven supply chain operations.

Martin highlighted the fact that the supply chain is a growth opportunity in a slowing economy and that top-performing companies are able to sense changes in demand quickly. For companies dealing with short product lifecycles, it is particularly important to "think from the outside in," according to Martin.

"More than half (56%) of all companies take two weeks or longer to sense changes in demand," he said. The Top 25 can sense changes in demand more quickly, partly through superior sales and operations planning.

The top-10 companies in AMR Research's 2008 Supply Chain Top 25 include: Apple, Nokia, Dell, Proctor and Gamble, IBM, Wal-Mart, Toyota, Cisco, Samsung and Anheuser Busch. For the complete list and to read further analysis of the techniques that launched these supply chain leaders to the top, visit www.amrresearch.com/supplychaintop25.