Supply chain management is one of the most important factors driving business growth according to more than 3,800 leaders and influencers across the industry, based on a survey conducted by MORI on behalf of Exel.
The survey also reveals that within two years time, most respondents in UK and Ireland anticipate they will outsource up to 68% of their supply chain. The division between different activities within the supply chain is shrinking, with 73% of all respondents stating that integrated logistics solutions, covering the entire spectrum of supply chain management, are relevant to their business.
When asked about which factors are most important when choosing a provider, the top two answers were the capability to offer core contract logistics and freight management services. Both facts make a strong business case for global, end-to-end supply chain management.
The results also highlight that cost reduction is by far the most critical issue facing the supply chain today (58%), followed by reliability (38%) and integration of the supply chain (32%), with 78% of respondents looking to third-party logistics companies to identify ways of reducing their supply chain costs.
For contract logistics, value for money is the top criteria for selecting a contract logistics provider and for freight management reliability is key, closely followed by value for money.
