Forte - Supply Chain Distribution Trends in an Improving Economy

As paradoxical as it may seem, the cloud of a deep recession followed by a prolonged period of uneven recovery can have a silver lining. While the economic recovery generally has been modest, some market sectors are seeing robust growth.1 Improving conditions present a prime opportunity for business executives to strategize and rejuvenate their organizations. Many, if not most, companies have postponed major investments in supply chain improvements, but they may find that now is a propitious moment to re-evaluate the role their activities play in elevating the customer experience … in creating an even greater competitive edge.

Their challenge is to continue transforming the distribution function into a core competency; their objective is to create fulfillment operations that leverage new and existing technologies to achieve a competitive advantage. While leveraging distribution for competitive differentiation is hardly a novel topic, those who are beginning to evaluate supply chain improvements are finding an exciting array of new tools and techniques to support their analysis and decision making.