Elemica Offers Research Report on Building Effective Business Networks

WAYNE, PA--(Marketwired - Feb 24, 2015) - Elemica, the leading Supply Chain Operating Network provider for the process industries, is offering a research report, "Building Effective Business Networks in Process Industries," from leading industry analyst Lora Cecere, Founder and CEO of Supply Chain Insights. The report captures and highlights insights from a quantitative research effort conducted on the use of Business-to-Business supply chain networks, with findings derived using responses from carefully screened survey participants to ensure accuracy and vetted through structured focus group meetings. The results show that while companies operate complex value networks, they struggle to get the actionable information they need to make better strategic decisions faster. Understanding how to measure progress in gaining value from business networks is a first step on a journey to supply chain excellence.

"The performance of an organization today hinges on the effectiveness of flows between and amongst supply chain trading partners," said Lora Cecere, CEO and Founder of Supply Chain Insights. "While companies have made improvements in their supply chains, they still lack the ability to use outside-in data to improve channel sensing and reduce risk."

"Lora Cecere's research shows that there is significant potential for improvement within the supply chains of process enterprises and also the use of trading partner networks for meaningful B2B collaboration," said Rich Katz, CTO of Elemica. "Elemica's Supply Chain Operating Network is poised to address the top pain points of low supply chain visibility and demand and supply volatility, with its state-of-the-art technologies, easy on-boarding, social extensions, and automation of customer-driven processes. The business ecosystem we've created captures transaction data among trading partners, creating a critical mass of real-time business information that helps businesses make more informed decisions faster to best respond in a dynamic market."

Respondents were asked numerous questions on the use of various supply chain business process applications within their organizations, along with the performance of these solutions. The results show that companies leveraging the robust capabilities uniquely found in a business network realize meaningfully better results across various fulfillment, procurement and logistics initiatives like Global Inventory and Shipment Visibility, Forecast from Demand, Freight Cost Management, Outbound Vendor Managed Inventory, Email and Fax Automation, and more. The research also concludes that companies rank higher in global supply chain visibility, and have greater across-the-board performance, when fewer enterprise instances are deployed within their four walls and a Business Network is leveraged to extend their processes to the outside world.

Other highlights from the report show that:

• Supply chain visibility and demand and supply volatility are top priorities
• True value of a network lies in data synchronization and harmonization, not integration
• Companies are drowning in data and desire needed actionable insights
• Overreliance on an ERP system's capabilities strains visibility and performance
• Different B2B collaboration options have a real impact on data latency
• Antiquated Phone, Email, fax, EDI and spreadsheets approaches remain pervasive

Respondents were manufacturers, distributors, or 3PLs involved in the process industry and worked in a supply chain, information technology, leadership, or sales capacity.

The report can be downloaded at: http://www.elemica.com/building-effective-business-networks-in-process-industries/.

About Elemica

Elemica's Supply Chain Operating Network is designed to give clients greater control over their global supply chains. Capturing transaction data, across all trading partners, and translating it into actionable information is key to driving value out of the supply chain. By combining powerful SmartLink business process applications with a robust QuickLink Network, Elemica solutions improve operational efficiency, lower costs, and decrease working capital. Founded in 2000, Elemica today processes approximately $350B in annual transactions across more than 7,500 process industry trading partners. Elemica's global operations are headquartered outside Philadelphia and include offices in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Frankfurt, London, Seoul, Singapore, and Tokyo. Clients include BASF, BP, Continental, The Dow Chemical Company, DuPont, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, LANXESS, Michelin, Shell, Solvay, Sumitomo Chemical, and Wacker. For more information, visit www.elemica.com.