Thursday, December 03, 2009
In a challenging economic environment, leading retailers are turning to their supply chains to improve inventory management, control costs and maintain first-rate customer service, according to the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) and Auburn University’s 2009 State of the Retail Supply Chain study.
The recently released report underscores the critical role of supply chain management in today’s challenging retail environment. Executive interviews and a national survey gathered information in three primary areas:
- The strategic role of SCM in retail companies
- Supply chain challenges that are of great concern to the retail industry
- Capabilities must retailers develop and leverage to achieve supply chain excellence
The study found that best-in-class retailers:
- Leverage strong distribution networks that are capable of supporting high volumes
- Create flexible capacity to adjust supply chain infrastructure and support unanticipated fluctuation in demand
- Align inside and outside the organization to break down silos and manage processes more holistically
- Continually develop the internal talent pool to enhance the quality of the workforce
These best-in-class capabilities will continue to be important to the future of the retail supply chain as retailers continue to adapt with the changing wants, needs and desires of consumers.
View the 2009 State of the Retail Supply Chain study.
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