Supply Value, a management consultancy specialised in supply chain management and purchasing, has launched the latest editions of its annual ‘Supply Chain Management Trends’ and ‘Purchasing Trends’ studies. Professionals active in the supply management and procurement domain are invited to participate.
Over the past few years, markets, sectors and organisations have been seeing a growing wind of change, or even disruption, hit their frontiers. From growing competition from corporates through startups, to changing consumer behaviour, innovation and technological advancements, the rapidly altering business environment is forcing stakeholders to adapt in a bid to remain ahead of the game. Down the line the change is impacting the DNA and make-up of organisations, as well as transforming the way organisations work.
Among the functions that are being redefined are supply chain and purchasing. To gain insight in how market trends and competitive pressures are impacting the realms of the two functions, Supply Value, a Netherlands-based consulting firm, has teamed up with several branch associations, including IFPSM (International Federation for Purchasing and Supply Management), to launch two separate studies into the matter.
The first study, titled ‘Supply Chain Management Trends 2017’, will explore the key priorities supply managers have for 2017 and beyond, and further look into the role of ‘hot topics’ such as technology, collaboration with third parties, outsourcing, innovation, Sales and Operation (S&OP) and sustainability. Previous editions of the study showed that although supply chain management traditionally remains focused on cost reduction, recent years have seen a shift towards more inclusive factors within the wider operations value chain.
Supply chain professionals that wish to participate in the Supply Chain Management Trends research can access the survey through this link.
Last year’s ‘Purchasing Trends’ research highlighted ‘more attention to supply chain optimisation’, ‘flexibility’ and ‘cost reduction’ as the top three priorities for procurement professionals. ‘More focus on expediency’ and ‘focus on innovation’ surfaced as the fastest growers in terms of popularity. The 2017 edition of the study seeks to shed light on the major developments that have since taken place, and to reconfirm the strategic priorities that top the agenda of procurement experts.
Read more at www.consultancy.uk