The healthcare supply chain has some very distinctive characteristics – decisions can sometimes literally mean the difference between life and death. But what does it take to make a truly successful supply chain in this sector.
The question is not an abstract one – we are looking for the top supply chains in Healthcare and Consumer Products for the European Supply Chain Excellence Awards 2010.
The Awards, organised by Supply Chain Standard in partnership with consultancy PRTM, are the gold standard for supply chain operations in Europe attracting entries from the world’s leading manufacturers, retailers and supply chain specialists.
Last year the Awards saw some of the biggest players in the industry battling it out. On the short-list were GlaxoSmithKline, Procter & Gamble, Henkel, and Stryker Leibinger.
GlaxoSmithKline’s entry was innovative in that it tackled the pharmaceutical company’s R&D supply chain and involved the development of a novel, risk-based planning tool for clinical trials supply.
Procter & Gamble, demonstrated that it had implemented best-in-class demand planning practices, focusing on the generation of a single company forecast that encompassed finance, operations and sales.
Stryker Leibinger completely changed its operating mode from push to pull over an 18-month timeframe. The improvements in flexibility, customer service, inventory, and costs – and all with double digit sales revenue growth – impressed the judges.
However, it was Henkel, the CPG manufacturer operating in the laundry and home care market that took the category prize. Centred on a set of core principles its strategy was to produce close to the market, use economies of scale and to build on smart technologies/processes. In the past two to three years it has moved to European distribution, with one inventory layer and has enabled real-time demand visibility across Europe.
What makes the Awards unique is a stringent judging process which focuses on performance against five core disciplines of supply chain.
The awards are presented at a glittering dinner at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel before an audience of more than 450 industry leaders. This year the dinner will take place on Thursday 18th November.
The deadline for entries is Friday, 4th June 2010. To find out more and download an entry form, visit the Awards web site: www.supplychainexcellenceawards.com
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