Logistics Manager Magazine

Customer demand collaboration, and supply chain risk minimisation are the two most important strategic issues facing supply chain professionals, according to an analysis by PRTM of the detailed entries of more than 100 companies for the European Supply Chain Excellence Awards 2009.

The Awards are organised by Supply Chain Standard in partnership with PRTM. This year’s awards ceremony was held on 12th November at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.

PRTM also gathered insights from individual conversations with nearly 200 supply chain practitioners and senior executives. Some 77 per cent of participants identified customer demand collaboration as a key issue followed by supply chain risk minimisation.

When it comes to innovating the supply chain, most participants are looking at innovation opportunities that will improve their competitive advantage. In building the supply chain of the future, executives are focused on developing and implementing a strategy that aligns customer needs with product development and supply chain strategies to deliver competitive advantage.

Participants noted other factors like a focus on cost containment (63 per cent), the increased role of technology (52 per cent) and sustainability as a strategic differentiator (36 per cent) as important.

Participants came from a wide range of sectors—including aerospace and defence, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, retail, and FMCG—and from a variety of countries: France, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, Austria, Greece and the UK. Participating companies included Carlsberg UK, Daimler Trucks, Henkel, Cadbury, LEGO, BSkyB and GlaxoSmithKline.

Telefónica O2 UK picked up the trophy for overall winner by demonstrating an outstanding level of performance across the five core disciplines of strategic supply chain management.

Gordon Colborn, UK director for PRTM, said “The awards have been a phenomenal success. The quality and innovation in these awards was of a very high standard—and, without a doubt, the bar for supply chain excellence was raised once again this year.”