GEODIS is sharing the latest insights about supply-chain challenges that face market stakeholders and shows where they feel potential for improvement can be found. The findings of the company’s 2017 supply chain Worldwide survey were presented recently at a transportation and logistics trade fair in Munich, Germany.

In the wake of globalization and rampant digitization, commercial trade flows have evolved dramatically, the report noted. Both the volume and the scope of services managed within supply chain have reached unprecedented levels.

In this context, 70 percent of the survey’s respondents say their supply chain is either very or extremely complex. They also emphasize the strategic position it has reached in their overall organization. Supply chain has become more customer-focused and mostly considered as a lever to win competitive advantage. The survey also confirms that achieving extended visibility of their supply chain is one of the major objectives of respondents in order to efficiently manage it.

The GEODIS’ 2017 supply chain worldwide survey also offers a broad assessment of the solutions identified to tackle future challenges, such as organizational best practices, technology trends, KPIs monitoring, and outsourcing behaviors. It is noteworthy, that the best earnings performers have positioned supply chain management at the board level or C-level.

The survey offers clear testimony that companies know where the pain points are and the objectives they wish to attain but the pathways to success are still many and long.

The insights documented in this survey are based on the responses of 623 professionals in 17 countries from various functions, including supply chain, finance, operations, marketing, strategy, and information technology, and management levels. All the respondents have a direct link with supply chain operations and issues on a regular basis.