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Roadmap Provided to Address Supply and Demand Chain Management Challenges
February 27, 2003 |Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Alameda, Calif. -- Investments by electronics manufacturing companies of millions of dollars in software products to manage and automate supply and demand quantification (within and among partners required to design, make, sell, deliver and support products) have not prevented margins of error from 50 to 100 percent, which have created rifts between suppliers and customers, cost business partners millions of dollars, and delayed product launches.
Technology Forecasters Inc., undertook the study "Supply-and-Demand Chain Software: Systems Required through the Product Lifecycle" to map which application systems are required in an enterprise and the business process and data flow through these required systems. The study's results will be presented March 6, 2003, during Technology Forecasters' Quarterly Forum for Electronics Manufacturing Outsourcing and Supply Chain, to be held at member Varian Electronics Manufacturing's facility in Tempe, Ariz.
For the study, TFI's team interviewed 23 established, emerging, broad and focused software vendors to, among other things, elicit feedback on integration challenges in using these tools. From the results, TFI developed a model that provides guidance on product-related data flows between systems -- organized the way OEM managers view their product's lifecycle, from design through end of life.
The study comes at a particularly critical time: With the high technology downturn of 2001-2002, companies have dramatically decreased IT spending and yet still need solutions that solve tangible business issues and demonstrate rapid ROI. Executives are faced with choices among a dizzying array of large and small software companies vying for scarce IT dollars. The model helps OEM and contract manufacturing executives objectively analyze their existing software platforms and close existing gaps.
In addition to the presentation of the results of the software study, the March 6th Quarterly Forum will include a panel of supply-and-demand-chain software executives discussing strategies to enable cost savings and superior communication between OEMs and outsourcing partners. Participating companies include J.D. Edwards, NewView Technologies, Parametric Technology Corp., PeopleSoft, and Valdero -- moderated by Agile Software. Other sessions on March 6 will be "Surviving the Industry Downturn," by Varian Inc. Electronics Manufacturing's Vice President Wilson Rudd, a panel of original design manufacturing executives discussing intellectual property protection and comparisons with contract manufacturers, "Uncovering New Sources of Business Value: Focusing an Ecological Lens on the Supply Chain," and "The Consumer Electronics Market: Trends and Strategies for Outsourcing." That evening, a networking dinner for members will be sponsored by Teradyne Connection Systems.
The Quarterly Forum is presented by strategic-consulting firm Technology Forecasters Inc., and comprises 15 industry reports and four live events each year. This growing community includes corporate sponsors Agile Software, Arima Group, Elcoteq Inc., Parametric Technology Corp., SMT Limited (Hong Kong) and Teradyne.
Technology Forecasters Inc. (TFI) is a strategic-consulting firm helping electronic-product executives to improve outsourcing strategy, contract manufacturing executives to increase revenues and profitability, and suppliers of software, capital equipmen, and components to increase their share in the growing outsourcing markets. For more information, visit www.techforecasters.com.