@Risk

Recent drug shortages in the US underscore the complexities, interdependencies and volatility of modern global supplier networks.

According to an IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics study released last week, most of the 168 products on the drug shortage lists compiled by the US Food and Drug Administration and American Society of Health-System Pharmacists have only one or two manufacturers. Thirteen companies have stopped supplying products on the shortages lists within the past two years. As Murray Aitken, executive director, IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics, points out, this leaves a growing number of products open to possible production disruptions that cannot be offset rapidly by other manufacturers.

“Patients throughout the US, including hundreds of thousands being treated for cancer, may be at risk of treatment disruption due to drug shortages,” Aitken said. “Understanding the nature of these medicines, their suppliers and the supply volume dynamics – and focusing sharply on the market and supply chains that are most impacted – are essential to formulating meaningful solutions to this complex, and often misunderstood, issue.”

The new study, Drug Shortages: A Closer Look at Products, Suppliers and Volume Volatility, also found that: (more…)

Despite concerns about economic recovery in the Eurozone, three-fourths of top European banks still believe growth prospects for supply chain finance remain “strong” or “very strong,” according to Demica’s latest research report on the supply chain finance market.

The research, which involved the top 40 European banks, showed that respondents:

• anticipate annual supply chain finance growth rates between 10 percent and 30 percent per annum in mature markets, and 20-25 percent in emerging markets where the need for financing is particularly pressing to help cope with rapid expansion.

• believe growth over the next few years will primarily be driven by developed economies such as the US and Europe, along with larger emerging economies including China and India.

In addition, survey respondents identified working capital optimization and reduction of supply chain risk as the primary drivers for establishing SCF programs in mature markets.  In emerging economies, access to liquidity and enabling suppliers to keep pace with buyers’ growth are the key motivations.

Significant challenges remain, however. For example, respondents said that, especially in emerging markets, legal and jurisdictional issues and access to technology platforms require further work to accelerate supply chain finance growth. (more…)

More new research indicates that global companies are setting their sights on growth and global expansion.

As I pointed out last week, nearly all (95 percent) of the CFOs polled in BDO’s annual Global Ambition Survey said they are optimistic about their global expansion plans.

Now, a new report from KPMG concludes that global manufacturers have made top-line growth their number one priority in the next two years, despite persistent economic volatility and uncertain demand.

KPMG surveyed 220 manufacturing executives from global companies with at least $1 billion in revenue and found that: (more…)

Recent global events (civil unrest, volcanoes, the Japanese earthquake, etc.) have focused new attention on the importance of supply chain resilience. Incidents like these underscore how globalization has connected companies, suppliers, consumers and the world around them in new ways.

How should manufacturers respond to this intricate interdependence?  Are there specific steps they must take to achieve excellence in today’s connected marketplace?

A new whitepaper from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) deep dives into these questions and concludes that essentially, there are five key issues that play an important part in determining whether manufacturing companies will rise to the level of excellent, adequate or merely mediocre. Those five key issues are:

• Identifying and preventing supply chain risk
• Linking demand planning with the whole value chain
• Making customer and supplier collaboration real
• Addressing lifecycle opportunities and demonstrating sustainable value
• Attracting the people and skills needed for the future

In the report, PwC does a good job of breaking down the first bullet point, the task of identifying and preventing supply chain risk. Ultimately, the firm recommends that you mitigate supply chain risk by: (more…)

As we have seen across other sectors, the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry is now in recovery mode, with companies focused on growth and opportunities for global expansion to enhance both their top and bottom lines.

But, new research shows that CPG companies will sorely miss one newly critical capability as they expand to places like China and other emerging markets. Which critical capability is lacking in developing economies?

Digital technology.

Thriving in a Connected World, an intriguing new report from the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and PwC US, points out that today’s CPG companies have become quite savvy at leveraging digital innovation to optimize service to consumers and trading partners.

For instance, the report suggests that mobile devices have improved workforce productivity in three specific areas: (more…)