AMR Research Supply Chain Top 25

By Christopher P. Sciacca
Expert Author
Article Date: 2008-08-01

Last month, AMR Research published its heavily touted and highly competitive Top 25 Supply Chain listing.

Being personally involved in IBM's effort to be #1 on the list I know the time and effort that goes into both the development of this report and the final count. Based on the peer scores of all of the players the report certainly has gained in popularity since 2004.

In the past year, AMR has taken the report a step further to look at the overall financial strength of the top 25 making a strong case that if your supply chain excels, so do your financially. It's certainly the case for IBM, the #5 supply chain this year and Apple the #1. Speaking of Apple, as both a huge customer, fanboy and shareholder, I was a little surprised to see them as #1. I mean, the iPhone has been sold out in stores for months and while that make create strong demand and create buzz, it certainly doesn't bode well for the planning inventory and demand system.

Frankly, next year, I'd like to see the bottom 25 supply chains in the world. It would be humorous to see what the worse supply chain in the world looks like. Hey, Kevin O'Marah, what do you think about a Bottom 25 Supply Chain for next year?

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About the Author:
Christopher P. Sciacca is located in Brno, Czech Republic where he is the manager of strategic communications for Europe and Africa for IBM's global delivery business. His responsibilities include helping global delivery employees across Europe and Africa understand IBM's strategy and how they contribute to it. He is also introducing the latest in Web 2.0 technologies including virtual worlds and social networks to employees to help them make connections that count globally. He is also responsible for external communications, where he works with members of the press, academia, government officials and analysts to help them understand IBM's strategy of becoming a globally integrated company. He currently keeps an acclaimed and widely read blog called "Why supply chains rock?", which takes a simple, yet entertaining look at the impact of supply chains on daily life.