= registration required 29 August 2008

Sector Analysis

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The English patient
Healthcare is a highly political subject. When the UK’s NHS outsourced its supply chain to a logistics services company close scrutiny ensued. But the stakes are high – assurances were given that savings of €127million would bemade each year for ten...
Published: 30 May 2008

Money matters
With all the talk of borrowing squeezes and high interest rates, perhaps financial directors need to look at some of the assets locked up in company supply chains. When goods commonly spent no more than a few days in transit, financing the supply chain...
Published: 01 April 2008

Grocers unwrapped
Excess packaging and carbon footprints are intertwined in the public’s perception of green issues and supermarket shopping. But cutting back in packaging is far from simiple....
Published: 01 January 2008

Pressure point
It''s fair to say that, until now, most companies in the pharmaceutical and medical fields have had other things on their mind than maximising the efficiency of their supply chains. But what was once regarded as a minor cost component is coming under...
Published: 01 November 2007

The IT crowd
Fashion retailers have learned to be more responsive to customer demand and changes in market conditions by deploying technology that enables faster decisions to be taken in the chain. Many international retailers are now switching stock between...
Published: 01 October 2007

Green and mean
How do you balance 'lean' with 'green'? Consumers want goods that have been ethically sourced and delivered in an environmentally responsible way - however they are not keen on paying extra for them. So to what degree can the FMCG sector accommodate...
Published: 01 September 2007

Structural shift brings winners and losers
Light vehicle output grew by an impressive four per cent in 2006, to 66.4 million units, as demand in Asia provided a substantial boost to output. But as East European car plants continue to expand the ultimate fate of a number of plants in Western...
Published: 29 June 2007

Tight turn ahead
Times are hard for car manufacturers and their suppliers. Over-capacity is hitting margins and competition from the East is fierce, and yet OEM’s in the West are having to look to new eco-friendly models to cater for a more environmentally conscious...
Published: 29 June 2007

Combating obsolescence
The dynamics of the electronics sector are changing. With individuals now purchasing more high tech products than companies, supply chains are having to be more closely aligned to customer needs. But consumers are fickle and product life spans are short,...
Published: 01 May 2007

Greener grocers
As Tesco commits to carbon labelling, Carrefour sets up an ‘Environment club’ and M&S pledges to spend €300m on being carbon neutral by 2012, the stakes are riding high to secure the moral high ground in the battle for green consumers. But in these...
Published: 01 April 2007

The money-go-round
Banks are looking at new ways of financing the global supply-chain. Chris Lewis learns of some of the innovative techniques being introduced by the banking sector which can free-up working capital without needing formal title to the actual assets – they...
Published: 01 March 2007

Managing the risks
Western manufacturers now need to know more about managing networks than they do about making things. Outsourcing manufacturing to distant low cost economies may cut unit costs but increased complexity and risk are creating new challenges for the supply...
Published: 01 February 2007

Cut on the bias
Clothing retailers are turning to rapid response supply chains to deliver a cutting edge – leading to 50 per cent reduction in out-ofstocks and a three per cent improvement in margins. This, along with the rising importance of internet sales, is creating...
Published: 01 October 2006

Central attraction
As Britain’s manufacturing base continues to diminish, the UK economy is becoming increasingly services centric. A boom in retailing keeps supply chains active, but with congested infrastructure and labour shortages, what makes the UK attractive to...
Published: 01 September 2006

Europe’s cost frontier
The presence of low-cost economies on the eastern fringe has concentrated minds in Germany. But good infrastructure and a shift in the geographic centre for pan-European logistics creates a fine balance. By Chris Lewis ...
Published: 01 May 2006

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