Framingham, MA –  In a recent report from Manufacturing Insights, supply chain research director Bob Ferrari identifies intellectual property protection and supplier strategies as the top two risk areas facing manufacturing and retail executives with operations in China. Other risk areas include logistics and transportation, infrastructure, and national as well as local political events.
 
Ferrari authored the report, which is based on the results from MI’s annual Low Cost Manufacturing in China survey. "By identifying and ranking these risk areas, our aim to help supply chain executives understand current trends for manufacturing lead times, inventory and transportation costs associated to products originating in China, as well as to anticipate future changes," Ferrari said in a statement.
 
In addition to ranking the top risk areas, survey respondents also identified the top information technology tools impacting operations in China. 70% ranked enterprise resource planning software as the most effective IT tool. Other tools that made the survey: supply chain collaboration portals, advanced demand or supply planning system, transportation management and control systems and storage resource management or procurement systems.
 
Ferrari notes, "The increased use and effectiveness of IT and applications is a positive sign for the region. This, coupled with data showing some improvement in lead times, indicates that all in all, operations are progressing."
 
Ferrari will present survey findings during a Web conference on August 30; idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=IDC_P12978.

• Prev
• Next