White Papers

Demand planning and forecasting serve as the centralized repository of intelligence for marshalling resources to cost-effectively respond to future demand. In order to ensure optimal demand forecasting, those in distribution-intensive industries must capitalize on using the most appropriate forecasting model and methods that best serve the unique dynamics of their business at a specific moment in time. All products are not created equal–nor are market dynamics static such that one model that fits today's conditions will be equally suitable tomorrow.
  Requires approval.

With globalization of supply and more customer-specific fulfillment mandates, the need for supply chain technology is not abating. However, in analyzing the plans of more than 200 enterprises, it is clear that supply chain executives are seeking new capabilities and technology features for their next-generation supply chain solutions. The classic internally focused, serial processes between supply chain planning and execution activities will become outmoded in the next generation of supply chain implementations. Companies that have yet to prioritize process automation with suppliers or customers or that don’t have a clear game plan for “sense and respond” capabilities that link real-time visibility with supply chain execution and planning should be put on notice.

Aberdeen recently researched demand management technology trends within consumer industries. This research brief assesses the performance of companies using Logility’s Voyager Demand Management solutions in comparison to the overall pool of benchmark respondents.

The consumer marketplace is becoming increasingly volatile, fragmented, and dynamic. These changes cry out for a process of dynamically assessing and managing demand. Shrinking product life cycles and an unforgiving marketplace are sharply increasing the costs of demand management errors.

One year after the significant spike in energy prices, distribution and  manufacturing companies have had the opportunity to digest the pervasive impact  of high energy costs on their operations and margins. Overall, supply chain  executives remain very concerned about the impact of energy costs, and recognize  that the problem is not an aberration and will not go away on its own any time  soon.

Responding to shrinking product-based profit margins and pressure to deliver better customer service, companies are increasingly looking for ways to automate and control the flow of service parts to and from asset operators. While companies have traditionally put more emphasis on the planning of production parts, service-oriented companies are beginning to focus on the intelligent planning and management of spares to reduce excess costs, improve service contract compliance, increase customer loyalty, and offer a differentiated value proposition.

This benchmark report from AberdeenGroup will provide insight on how to properly manage inventory to drive revenue and efficiency. With traditional inventory management practices being made obsolete by increasingly more global supply chains, contract manufacturing, more dynamic product lifecycles, and multi-channel distribution, inventory management processes and technologies are being actively re-evaluated by companies today. This report examines the latest technology strategies and practices for managing inventory to gain market share and competitive advantage through superior service and availability.
  Requires approval.

This paper discusses SAP pursuing further development of its transportation product to close the gap between the basic functionality currently offered and the extended capabilities found in best of breed transportation management sashes (TMS) offered by companies such as Logility.
  Requires approval.

Supply chain and transportation executives face intense pressure to deal with transportation rate and capacity challenges, as well as satisfy the increased thirst for transportation information from the rest of the organization. To identify today’s success strategies for transportation management, AberdeenGroup researched the domestic transportation practices of a variety of large and midsize companies. This investigation found that a number of companies have successfully transformed their transportation management operations to drive increased value for their businesses, while keeping cost and capacity issues in check.

This report determines the implications of S&OP business practices, application technologies, analytics, and organizational alignment on competitive performance. The success strategies and actions taken to overcome challenges by best-of-breed performers provide a benchmark for comparison and provide the reader with a fact-based case for action.

Global sourcing has become routine procedure in some industries, while it is an increasingly important competitive factor in many others. Effective global sourcing is becoming the predominant business imperative in these early years of the 21st century. 
  Requires approval.

This paper provides readers an overview of the current business environment and the criticality of the supply chain given the business challenges of today.
  Requires approval.

This paper examines how food manufacturers successfully plan for seasonal harvests, achieve long-term visibility of future demands and manage near-term production scheduling and execution.
  Requires approval.

Collaborative Transportation Management outlines the new application of collaboration in supply chain execution - Collaborative Transportation Management (CTM). This concept for CTM was presented to the CTM sub-committee at the VICS 2000 Conference and accepted as a working document for the sub-committee to define the emerging standard.
  Requires approval.

The 1970s were marked with management theories focused on Product Life Cycles. Companies were organized around how products were conceived, designed, tested, developed, approved, manufactured, sold, distributed and serviced. Theory was turned into practice, and companies finally had a handle on how products entered and exited the marketplace. With the realization that customers made up the "market," the 1980s ushered in a renewed focus on the customer and the focus on Product Life Cycles gave way to Customer Life Cycles.
  Requires approval.

Branded apparel manufacturers have faced severe pressures from new sources over the last few years, including mass merchants, retail private label brands and agile vertical retailers. Each one threatens to further erode prices and margins, while demanding faster sell-through as well as increased speed and flexibility.

To combat these new threats, branded manufacturers must adopt three core competencies that will help them to better plan assortments at the store level, understand in-season trends, and support in season replenishment and VMI.
  Requires approval.