Study Reports Five Major Challenges In SCM

By Christopher P. Sciacca
Expert Author
Article Date: 2009-04-10

Whenever I promote something related to IBM, I always first disclose that I work for IBM. So consider yourself disclosed. A few weeks ago IBM released a new study based on interviews with 400 supply chain executives from the Americas, Western Europe and Asia called the Supply Chain of the Future.

The report boils down to 5 major challenges including cost containment, supply chain visibility, risk management, increased customer demand and globalization. You can download the report here, which includes a forward by Bob Moffat, senior vice president, IBM Systems and Technology Group. While it's not implied in his title, he owns the responsibility for IBM's $38 billion supply chain.

On a side note, when I was working in the US I had the pleasure to spend considerable time with Bob on numerous occasions. He lives in breaths supply chains and has dedicated a large part of his career to transforming IBM's supply chain from a broken-up network to globally integrated. Books could be written about what he's done to IBM's hardware supply chain, which is now also being applied to IBM's services and global delivery business. His endorsement of this study and his participation in it really makes it a must read in my view.

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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.