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A new study, “Integrated Demand-Supply Networks: Five Steps to Gaining Visibility and Control” announced by Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS), finds that most companies are struggling with the complexity of their multi-tiered networks of global suppliers, customers, supply chain services providers and other intermediaries. "Our study shows that companies understand the new reality of today's business environment and are prioritizing multi-enterprise visibility and process collaboration to regain control over their extended demand and supply networks," says Viktoriya Sadlovska, research analyst who co-authored the report.

Best practices in managing integrated supply chains, revealed from the survey of 126 companies, include:

1) Ability to accurately forecast demand across multiple channels and tiers
2) Supply chain agility (e.g. ability to re-route in-transit shipments)
3) Clearly defined executive sponsor or champion for supply chain collaboration
4) Effective integration of trading partner data into internal processes
5) Effective supply chain partner collaboration in sales and operations planning (S&OP), customer demand forecasting, inventory management and invoice reconciliation
6) Ability to track supply chain costs at line-item level at all stages in the supply chain
7) Standardized integration methods with suppliers/ customers/ other supply chain partners
8) Supply chain visibility, integration and S&OP software technology deployment

The most represented industries among the survey participants are: industrial manufacturing, consumer goods, pharmaceutical manufacturing, food / beverage, and retail / apparel / distribution. In the past several years, retail and consumer companies in particular have been increasingly more focused on driving supply chain efficiencies, due to the high complexity of their multi-tiered networks and evolving roles in the sector (e.g. retailers becoming brand manufacturers).
Nari Viswanathan, VP and Principal Analyst, who co-authored the report, concludes: "Supply chain complexity has gradually led companies to lose visibility and control over their network-wide supply chain operations and performance metrics. This study finds that visibility and responsiveness have become the necessary ingredients for success in today's multi-tiered supply-demand networks."

To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=5845.

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