© Lars Plougmann

For any organizational success, supply chain management plays a vital role.

It starts with the best procurement methods, transforming the procured material into semi-finished or finished goods and delivering the product to the consumer or end user. The supply chain may vary from industry to industry but basically all of them have the same motto of profitability. Every organization designs their own supply chain, taking into consideration all the factors, such as geographical location, product, inventory and transportation. At every step, care is taken to gain maximum output with minimum resource input.

Care is taken right from cutting down the inventory without losing the production rate to giving the best service to the end user or the customer. Parallel systems are always kept ready, considering the failure in any part of the supply chain. Whenever required, the management should be flexible. This is so as to make the required changes for smooth working on the supply chain.

SupplyChainDigest has collected information from experts about the trends and predictions in supply chain management for the year 2011. Jim Barnes, the president of enVista, a consulting firm, says that on-demand or Software as-a Service (SaaS) based solutions will do well this year. He also sees Microsoft as a growing force in supply chain software. Barnes sees major shifts in supply chain Software Company strategies, supply chain software companies will also start invest the cash that they have been building up the previous year.

Gene Tyndall has noticed the trend of supply chain management companies recognizing how the structure of a company's supply chain organization can have a huge impact on its effectiveness. Gartner stressed that supply chain management (SCM) technologies based on software as a service will gather momentum this year, but mainly in process areas.

© Walmart Stores

© Simon Blackley

ISRetail, a leading supply chain management software provider, has just joined the European Supply Chain Institute (ESCI) "Supply Chain Carbon Council". The council was established in 2007 and works with industry leaders to reduce carbon emissions. ISRetail is going to be a lead sponsor of a multiyear program to use RFID technology in tracking of emissions through the supply chain to the product level.

Data management technology will be crucial in this effort because "if you can measure it you can manage it." RFID wireless sensing will bring a high level of visibility to a product's emissions output at all stages in the supply chain. This could eventually lead to labelling on all products that gives a true "Emissions Footprint" to end users.