Secure the supply chain

This is an interesting significant initiative and most people don't give it much consideration.  The article does a good job highlighting the importance and the magnitude in achieving a secure supply chain. There are huge economic and safety repercussions.  It also suggests part of the strategy should be to build in duplicity to minimize economic disruption due to a failure.   It will clearly require a  global, international, collaborative focus, and this will be difficult.  It declares this will be a 2011 focus and I agree it should be.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704723104576062224066075598.html?KEYWORDS=secure+supply+chain

The outlook improves

2010 was clearly an improvement over 2009 and it appears in 2011 the trend will continue. This will present different types of challenges for purchasing professionals. Less supplier financial stress will start to be replaced by materials cost pressure.  Specifically inflation of most raw material commodities i.e. copper, resin, steel, rare earth, oil, etc.  High inflation in China is already in process,  In addition, RMB currency risk must be watched as it gains value on the dollar.  Good purchasing organizations will continue to get productivity with focus on fundamental strategic sourcing process.

 http://www.scdigest.com/ONTARGET/11-01-03-1.PHP?cid=4043&ctype=content