Logistics Manager and Supply Chain Standard Future Trends Annual Survey

Transcription

1 Logistics Manager and Supply Chain Standard Future Trends Annual Survey

2 About the Survey: The future trends annual survey was distributed among members of the Logistics Manager database and received 1030 responses. Research was conducted in order to provide a detailed snapshot of the Logistics Manager database and to ensure that the content within our portfolio of conferences, exhibitions and magazine features remains relevant and attractive. The survey sought to identify trends in four specific growth areas; technology, risk, sustainability and social media. While retail and consumer goods suppliers represented the largest single respondent group there was also significant representation from the industrial, automotive, food and drink and technological industries as well as third party logistics providers. This paper contains an abridged version of the Future Trends survey. Selected questions and findings were omitted for editorial reasons. Further results within each category and a more detailed breakdown of responses according to company size, industry, readership and position are available on request. 3PL/4PL Utilities/Energy 2.0% 14.0% 13% Printing and Packaging 4.0% Defence/Military Automotive Mining and Raw Materials Food and Drink Technolgy/Telecoms Electrical Industrial 3.0% 1.5% 4.0% 7.0% 8.0% 11.0% 15.0% 10% 35% 0-25m 25m - 50m 50m - 100m 100m - 500m 500m - 1bn 1bn - 5bn Chemicals 3.0% 5bn+ Pharmaceuticals and Life Sciences 5.0% Retail and Consumer Goods Other* 21.0% 16% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 15% Question: How would you define your business? Question: What do you estimate your company s 2012/13 turnover will be? * Other includes Finance, Property Development, Public Sector, Training Providers, Construction, Aviation, Waste Management, Trade Associations, Consultancies, Healthcare and Agricultural.

3 Supply Chain Standard 6 8% Logistics Manager 85% Manager* I don't read trade magazines 1 Director/Head MD/CEO/President/Partner Other** Supply Management Works Management 5% 27% 25% 58% HSS Focus 8% SHD 20% Other* 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% Question: How would you best describe your current position? * Manager includes; Logistics Manager, Supply Chain Manager, Purchasing Manager, Procurement Manager, Distribution Manager, Warehouse Manager, IT Manager, Project Manager, Department Manager Question: Which trade publications do you read? * Other includes; Packaging News, Property Week, Warehouse and Logistics News, Retail Week, The Grocer, The Engineer, IFW, Motor Transport **Other includes; Engineer, Analyst, Business Development, Controller, Team Leader, Trainer, Professor, Lecturer, Consultant Logistics and Supply Chain Technology A majority of respondents (55%) now operate an integrated EPR or RTLS system and are overwhelmingly happy with the results ( when asked, 83% stated that their ERP system had achieved the desired results). A significant number also highlighted the value of data capture (47% indicated that data capture technology would add the most value to their business), highlighting a prodigious thirst for reliable data among supply chain and logistics professionals. While the results pointed to a clear majority planning software over hardware investment, the three most desired technologies were wholly compatible and highlight a growing opacity between hardware and software systems.

4 28% 25% 30% Hardware Software 72% 75% 70% Question: Does your company use RFID or RTLS Technology? Question: Do you work with a third party to analyse and interpret the data? Question: Over the next months are you more likely to invest in hardware or software technology? Supplier/Partner Collaboration 36% Mobile Devices 53% Distribution Efficiencies 56% Battery and Hybrid Technology 14% Real Time Location Systems 12% Demand Forecasting 4 RFID 23% Inventory Management 65% Automation 40% Supply Chain Optimisation 72% Data Capture 47% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Question: What do you hope to achieve with your RFID/ERP data? Question: Which technology would add the most value to your business?

5 Sustainability Sustainability stood out as an area with unambiguous results: 70% of respondents viewed sustainability as an issue requiring corporate over consumer leadership. Encouraging this trend were the 82% of respondents who saw sustainability as compatible with company growth over the next three years. The number of companies happy with their own reputation for sustainable performance was surprisingly high at 78%. However, this number may have been unduly influenced by the high number of retailers who responded a group where a full 83% were happy with their performance. 18% 30% 43% Consumer Led 57% Corporate Led 70% 82% Question: Is pursuing a sustainability agenda compatible with your company s growth strategy over the next three years? Question: Does your company insist that sustainable initiatives be cost saving/cost neutral in order to be implemented? Question: Is sustainability a consumer led or corporate led issue? Risk Risk is a growing concern for many logistics and supply chain professionals however, while the media have focussed on floods in Thailand, nuclear fallout in Japan and hurricanes across the Eastern Seaboard these are not the risks most prevalent among logistics and supply chain personnel. Indeed, one of the more surprising revelations was the comparative lack of concern with regards to these disastrous events.

6 Transport Congestion 1 Social Media Presence 10% Macroeconomic Uncertainty 26% Energy Prices 25% Data Interpretation 20% Meeting Customer Demands 2 Scenario Planning 33% Shortage of Talent 23% Competition Risks 47% IT Services 3 Government Legislation 2 Collaboration 34% Natural Disasters 7% Demand Volitility 58% Visibility 44% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Question: What do you see as the key risks to your company over the next 18 months? 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Question: What would you most like to improve in order to better mitigate/manage risk? Social Media There were stark responses to questions on the present and future role of social media. While social media s role in the supply chain is undoubtedly growing at a frantic pace, relatively few companies are able to decide how and where to integrate the technology to achieve the best results. Utilisation of traditional social media platforms such as Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook remains strong, however, a clear majority of respondents indicated that these sites would be unable to fulfil the needs of their business in future. With 57% of respondents revealing plans to increase their company s use of social media over the next 18 months it is clear that the medium has a strong future within the global supply chain. How companies will deploy social media to maximise their advantage however, remains an unknown.

7 Yammer 0% Marketing Opportunities and Brand Building 70% User/Product Forums Linkedin 30% 5 Respond to Customer Feedback 52% Facebook 18% 4 Identify Talent Within the Organisation 2 Twitter YouTube FourSquare 12% 15% 28% 38% Externally Internally Interaction with Employees Interaction with Partners and Service Providers 37% 5 Zoho Volerro Rypple Standardisation Best Practice/Benchmarks 2 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Question: Does your company utilise the following social media tools to communicate internally or externally? 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Question: What do you hope to achieve through social media? 8% 36% 43% 50% 57% 42% 64% Internal External Both Question: Does your company have plans to increase its social media activity over the next 18 months? Question: Do you think that generic social media sites (Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook etc.) will be able to fulfil all of the needs of your business in the future? Do you see social media as an internal or external tool?

8 About Logistics Manager and Supply Chain Standard Logistics Manager is the leading monthly magazine for managers in charge of the supply chain of the UK's largest industrial, retail and commercial organisations. Logistics Manager's editorial programme focuses on the core competencies essential to the modern logistics and transport functions. All links in the supply and value chains are covered in every issue of the journal with in-depth case studies detailing how organisations are reducing operating costs and boosting the efficiency of their goods-to-market operations. There is extensive coverage of new distribution and other logistics contracts, industrial property developments, vehicle fleet updates, innovations and information systems technology. Supply Chain Standard is Europe's strategic supply chain management resource, providing thought leadership, incisive comment and analysis from Europe s leading experts on global supply chain issues. Supply Chain Standard is a digital brand. The magazine is published in both ipad and Flash formats.