The Adaptive Supply Chain: Postponement For Profitability
Source: 2003 APICS International Conference Proceedings.
Copyright APICS - The Educational Society For Resource Management. Used by permission.
Learn How Leading Companies Are Lowering Costs And Reducing Risk Through Postponement.
Critical questions you should be asking about postponement:
- Is my company a good candidate for postponement?
- What steps can we take to ensure successful postponement implementation?
- How can my company profit from postponement?
- How can we reduce inventory and improve customer satisfaction?
With rising customer expectations and companies less willing to hold finished goods inventory, industry and market leaders are struggling to find ways to improve efficiency while remaining agile enough to respond to changes in the global marketplace.
One innovative response to this challenge is postponement, also known as "delayed differentiation." Postponement is an adaptive supply chain strategy that enables companies to dramatically reduce inventory while improving customer service.
What about your company? What are the benefits and challenges of implementing a postponement strategy, and how do you know if your company is a prime candidate for it?
As part of our joint commitment to supply chain excellence, Oracle Corporation and Cap Gemini Ernst & Young are pleased to present this study, which examines postponement and the role it will play in the next generation of supply chain strategies. This in-depth study is the first of its kind to address emerging trends in postponement. Through a combination of surveys with experienced practitioners and supply chain specialists and research on the latest trends, we have identified the emergence of postponement as an under-utilized, but increasingly viable and effective strategy within the supply chain.
This extensive study is meant to answer your questions about postponement and help you decide whether or not it's the right strategy for your company.