2009 Readers' Choice Survey: Supply Chain Planning
Supply Chain Planning (SCP) is a key process supported by important technology, yet funding in this area has been negatively impacted by the current economic situation. Analysts predict that manufacturers will continue with existing implementations, and according to Kimberly Knickle, program director, Emerging Agenda at Manufacturing Insights, an IDC company, there will be pressures to implement technology solutions where no capability exists. Knickle believes, however, that new projects will be at a lower level of investment.
Lora Cecere, vice president, Consumer Products, AMR Research, sees more and more consumer goods companies faced with a decision regarding their SCP solution, one which Cecere describes as choosing from "two unpalatable options." She explains that the larger strategic vendors have been slow to bring advanced planning solutions to market, and companies are faced with either expensive co-development with enterprise resource planning providers or buying such software from small solution providers. She feels that the industry will start to see more activity with the small, innovative, industry-specific niche vendor solutions.
Part of the challenge facing the SCP market is that the process is evolving to become more sophisticated. Cecere expects three changes in requirements: "Demand management will be redefined to use downstream data; a new type of supply chain execution will evolve to connect allocation and available-to-promise logic to sales and operations planning; and market execution technologies will be refined to enable the management of the supply chain all the way to the shelf."
Knickle is also looking for changes in the planning process, primarily around the need to quickly and easily create revised plans due to unanticipated events: "By increasing manufacturing flexibility, along with improving visibility, manufacturers will have a greater ability to respond to changes in demand," which is a primary goal of SCP.
The industry can also expect to see some changes in the vendor landscape next year, particularly after the termination of a proposed merger between JDA Software Group and i2 Technologies. This process is too important to be under-optimized and frequently at the center of demand-driven initiatives, which are central to success in the future.
BREAKOUT FAVORITES
Customer Experience: Logility
"We needed a solution from a company who understood our business and could support us not only with the software, but also assist with improving the critical business processes behind it. We have seen since our implementation that Logility is second to none when it comes to customer service."
-- Greg Wolljung, VP, Service & Distribution, Lance Inc.
SMB Market: SAP
"With SAP SCM, Brown-Forman increased the number of combined item/locations offered in some regions while maintaining 12 inventory turns per year and 99 percent plus service levels. Brown-Forman met their long-term inventory targets within a few months of start-up."
-- Jim hutchinson, SVP of Supply Chain Management, Brown-Forman Corporation
| Top 10 |
| 1. SAP |
| 2. Oracle |
| 3. Logility |
| 4. (tie) JDA Software Group i2 Technologies |
| 5. Terra Technology |
| 6. Infor Global Solutions |
| 7. CDC Software |
| 8. SmartOps |
| 9. TXT e-solutions |
| 10. Planalytics |
Part of the challenge facing the SCP market is that the process is evolving to become more sophisticated. Cecere expects three changes in requirements: "Demand management will be redefined to use downstream data; a new type of supply chain execution will evolve to connect allocation and available-to-promise logic to sales and operations planning; and market execution technologies will be refined to enable the management of the supply chain all the way to the shelf."
Knickle is also looking for changes in the planning process, primarily around the need to quickly and easily create revised plans due to unanticipated events: "By increasing manufacturing flexibility, along with improving visibility, manufacturers will have a greater ability to respond to changes in demand," which is a primary goal of SCP. The industry can also expect to see some changes in the vendor landscape next year, particularly after the termination of a proposed merger between JDA Software Group and i2 Technologies. This process is too important to be under-optimized and frequently at the center of demand-driven initiatives, which are central to success in the future.
BREAKOUT FAVORITES
Customer Experience: Logility
"We needed a solution from a company who understood our business and could support us not only with the software, but also assist with improving the critical business processes behind it. We have seen since our implementation that Logility is second to none when it comes to customer service."
-- Greg Wolljung, VP, Service & Distribution, Lance Inc.
SMB Market: SAP
"With SAP SCM, Brown-Forman increased the number of combined item/locations offered in some regions while maintaining 12 inventory turns per year and 99 percent plus service levels. Brown-Forman met their long-term inventory targets within a few months of start-up."
-- Jim hutchinson, SVP of Supply Chain Management, Brown-Forman Corporation