Learning From the Champions – Ten Recipes for the Success of Excellent Supply Chains

The objective of “My Chain Delivers” was to determine the value proposition of an excellent supply chain for a company’s performance and to derive underlying recipes for success. To this end, we carried out an extensive survey of supply chain managers in companies of different sizes and from different sectors. The study combines an assessment of three key dimensions – cost, service level, and inventory – with an analysis of the underlying methods, approaches, and success factors. In this way, it provides an overall picture of the best practices in supply chain management. It is rounded off with a detailed analysis of the best-practice examples and industry-specific characteristics, from which recommendations are derived for companies from all sectors.

More than one hundred companies from twelve different sectors took part in the survey. They included producers of consumer goods and retail companies as well as mechanical engineering companies and producers of chemicals and pharmaceuticals. The participants ranged from regional medium-sized companies to global corporations with several billion euros in annual revenues (Figure 1). The way their logistics is organized also varied widely – from a regular pattern of demand and few articles up to highly volatile flows of goods with high complexity.

With regard to the methodology used, the survey was based on a questionnaire. Together with experts from the world of science, consulting, and business practice, more than 100 success factors for supply chain management were identified. These were condensed into a detailed questionnaire. The data collected were then incorporated into a model that links the success factors with supply chain performance and corporate success. The validity of the study was guaranteed by means of recognized statistical procedures, such as structural equation modeling or multiple regression analysis. The results can be applied to companies in all industries and of all sizes.