The China Syndrome
A five-dimension analytical model for deciding when (and when not) to purchase from the East.
Content: Article | Authors: Dermot Shorten, Mitchell Quint | Source: strategy+business | Subjects: International – China, Outsourcing / BPO
Designing the Factory Footprint for Competitive Advantage
Most companies wait until their costs are demonstrably out of line before they scrutinize their manufacturing topography. But a forward-thinking firm can reduce unit costs by as much as 40 percent of total acquisition costs by asking: How many plants should we have? Where should they be? What should their focus and mission be? Designing an appropriate manufacturing footprint is not an easy process, but … [ Read more ]
Content: Article | Authors: Curt Mueller, Dermot Shorten, Michael Pfitzmann | Source: strategy+business | Subject: Operations
Supply Chain Strategy: Back to Basics
Among the many issues that make supply chain effectiveness challenging are complexity in mass customization, product line proliferation, shorter product life cycles, pressure for faster innovation, stress from quicker technology cycles, tougher, non-negotiable service levels, extended global supply chains, abundant channels and markets, and business cycle variability. With 40 to 70 percent of costs embedded in the typical supply chain, it is critical that companies … [ Read more ]
Content: Article | Authors: Dermot Shorten, Harriet Engel, Keith Oliver | Source: strategy+business | Subject: Operations
Key Factory Footprint Cost Drivers
Capturing the Value of Supply Chain Management
Twenty one years after its development, Supply Chain Management, once deemed a promising new way for companies to manage operations, has failed to achieve its promise, according to a new survey of large companies worldwide by Booz Allen Hamilton. Although companies spend more than $19 billion annually on information technology systems to improve their supply chain performance, nearly half of the companies in this survey … [ Read more ]
Content: Article | Authors: Dermot Shorten, Harriet Engel, Peter Heckmann | Source: strategy+business | Subject: Operations