@Risk

In today’s economic environment, it’s no surprise that manufacturers are focused on cutting costs and improving productivity whenever possible. However, these priorities must be balanced with effective safety strategies that both ensure compliance and mitigate risks.

A new report from Aberdeen Group explores the challenge. Between September and October 2011, Aberdeen used on an online survey to examine the use, experiences and intentions of more than 120 enterprises that have implemented safety systems. The research showed that:

• Best-in-Class companies are 81 percent more likely than Laggard organizations to leverage outsource services to maintain their safety systems.
• Best-in-Class companies achieve a 0.2 percent injury frequency rate as compared to Laggard organizations who achieve 3.9 percent injury frequency rate.
• Best-in-Class companies achieve a 0.09 percent repeat accident rate.
• Best-in-Class companies are twice as likely as Laggards to leverage diagnostic tools to gain visibility into manufacturing operations.

But, even so, it’s clear that much work needs to be done. (more…)

Supply chain visibility is growing increasingly important as companies struggle to rebound from the recession and better manage global supplier networks that are becoming progressively more unwieldy.  In fact, the Aberdeen Group recently surveyed 183 companies and found that supply chain visibility is now a top concern for firms looking to cut costs and improve response times to changing customer demands.

The survey results, compiled in Supply Chain Visibility Excellence: Fostering Security, Resiliency, and Efficiency, revealed that: (more…)

Now that all eyes are on the procurement department to drive operational performance and cost reductions, strategic sourcing has become more important than ever before, according to new research by the Aberdeen Group.

The new report, Strategic Sourcing: The 2010 Guide to Driving Savings and Procurement Performance, gauged the sourcing programs, processes, and performance of over 400 enterprises and found that Best-in-Class enterprises are: (more…)

Facing an unpredictable economic recovery, ever-expanding supplier networks, impending regulations and often volatile fuel prices, many companies today are struggling to contain transportation spend. After all, these days, successful transportation cost management means not only immediate survival, but also significant competitive advantage going forward.

So, how are today’s Best-in-Class shippers keeping costs under control while optimizing carrier and freight performance? What are the key capabilities needed to make transportation procurement and payment a winning strategic initiative? (more…)

The global economic crisis sent shock waves through every business organization, and understandably, over the past few years, certain executive relationships have fundamentally changed.

For example, in many organizations, CPOs and CFOs are collaborating in new ways, now that CFOs are beginning to realize how optimization of procurement function results in significant business benefits (cost containment, competitive advantage, etc.)

Aberdeen Group takes a close look at these evolving roles in a recently released white paper, titled “The CFO’s View of Procurement: Work in Progress.”

According to the report: (more…)