Declining imports as companies review their supply chain strategies;

Continued market consolidation and acquisition activity; and,

Green products and companies in the solar, wind, and geothermal space.

So, good news! However this will not come without challenges. Mr. Gwizdak states that the biggest challenge for manufacturers will come from “the complex supply chain with global operations, logistics, warehousing and reduced time available for new product introduction and time to fulfill a customer order.” Not too surprising. Anytime a company increases operations or expands globally, there will be new supply chain issues that need to be addressed. And, most importantly, the more complex a supply chain is, the more imperative it becomes to communicate with trading partners so that no one is left out of the loop.

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According to the study:

Respondents said they believe the recovery cycle is the biggest risk in 2010 because of potential commodity price increases, limited internal skills after workforce reductions, and problems meeting new demand with constrained capacity, low inventory and transportation constraints.

This re-enforces a point we’ve been trying to make here over the past few months – although many organizations may be facing major budget cuts across the board, IT spending, specifically in the supply chain, is one area that you cannot afford to make cuts in. Using a technology solution to ensure near real-time visibility into the status of orders, shipments and in-transit inventory can help save you money by avoiding expensive expedited shipments, reducing fees associated with detention, demurrage and per diem.

Free Analyst Report: For more tips on how technology can help you achieve optimal supply chain performance, please read this Global Supply Chain Benchmark report from the AberdeenGroup.

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