Safety in numbers: Software vendor forms supply chain risk management council
By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff -- Manufacturing Business Technology, 1/30/2008 10:21:00 AM
Manufacturers across most industries see the same issues as posing the biggest risks to their supply chains. These issues are:
• Supply interruption due to component volatility;
• Natural disasters or geo-political events;
• Accurate inventory valuations/SOX compliance;
• Outsourced partner compliance; and
• Brand/intellectual property protection.
That’s the conclusion drawn so far from research conducted by analyst firm Enterprise Applications Consulting on behalf of New Momentum, a software vendor that specializes in supply chain risk management solutions.
New Momentum targets companies that make electronic components or use such components in other products. Its ongoing research effort encompasses companies in seven industries—including consumer electronic, aerospace & defense, automotive, and other high-tech markets.
All companies participating in the research are invited to join a New Momentum-sponsored supply chain risk management council.
Members of this council can participate in roundtable discussions with other council members and industry experts as well as work with New Momentum’s software at no cost. The council’s purpose, according to a New Momentum press release, is to uncover and prioritize today’s most critical supply chain issues; develop best practices; and find solutions for reducing these risks. In addition to using the New Momentum software free of charge, council members will have input into the solutions’ future direction.
Currently, New Momentum offers solution addressing the following supply chain issues:
• Brand protection;
• Supply interruption;
• Asset valuation; and
• Partner compliance.
“For high tech companies, global outsourcing has reduced production costs, but it has also put supply chains in jeopardy,” says New Momentum CEO Stu Clifton. “We have two main goals in conducting an ongoing research project and creating the supply chain risk management council: To provide a forum for enterprises worldwide to become more aware of potential supply chain risks that could threaten production or regulatory compliance; and to determine the tools organizations need most to reduce their critical risks. We believe this council will pave the way for greater understanding of worldwide supply chain risks and finding solutions that work.”
