Global Supply Chain Requirements Stimulate SCM Growth
ARC defines the supply chain management (SCM) market, for the purposes of this study, to consist of the following application categories: Supply Chain Planning, Warehouse Management Systems, Transportation Management Systems, Collaborative Production Management for Process Industries, and Collaborative Production Management for Discrete Industries. This comprehensive study aggregates data from all of the above mentioned reports. Analysis from this broad perspective offers unique insight into the dynamics between these complementary markets.
The World Trade Organization reports that world trade recorded its largest ever annual increase in 2010, bringing trade back to the peak level of 2008. The spread of global supply chains was stated as a primary factor contributing to this increase. Supply chain applications and suites must be able to support today’s global supply chains.
Global supply chains rely upon integrated planning and collaboration, improved supply chain visibility, and robust supply chain risk management. Holistic planning and visibility requirements are contributing to sales growth of solutions that support this extensive process. Examples of these solutions include sales and operations planning, demand planning, collaborative production management, and transportation management solutions.
Strategic Issues
With the global economic downturn now predominantly in the past, capital spending on information technology has rebounded vigorously. The SCM market has participated in this rebound. Although ARC expects the overall growth rate of the market to moderate, we also expect prominent growth to remain in many segments of the market. This study will help to answer questions such as:
- Who are the leading SCM suppliers in the various regions, industries, and other revenue segments?
- What are the expected growth levels by end user industry and when will this growth occur?
- Which factors drive growth in the SCM market?
