A01 chaf6542 06 se fm indd

Benefits of e-supply chain management

Given the relative lack of adoption of e‑SCM, particularly in SMEs, which opportunities 

are being missed that are available to adopters? Research by IDC (2004) into the challenges 

facing manufacturers in one sector (electronic component manufacture) showed that their 

main challenges (scored out of 5) were:

● 

Reduce order‑to‑delivery time (4.3).

● 

Reduce costs of manufacturing (4.1).

● 

Manage inventory more effectively (4.0).

● 

Improve demand forecasting (3.9).

● 

Reduce time to introduce new products (3.7).

● 

Improve   after‑  market/ post‑  sales  operations  (3.2).

Figure 6.12

Popularity of different digital business applications in Europe according  

to company size

Source: European Commission (2008).

Secure protocols for internet orders

0%

Sending e-invoices

Open-source operating systems

Receiving e-invoices

Digital signature

ERP systems

Analytical CRM

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

% of enterprises

enterprise comprising % of the work force

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Part 2  Strategy and applications

Typical benefits with respect to a B2B company include: