[photopress:logistics_SanjeevNagrath.jpg,full,alignright]Technology giant IBM as opened its first supply chain innovation center in Beijing. The company said the center will be focused on helping companies throughout the world — this is not just a local system — integrate and transform their global supply chain capabilities.
The center will leverage the company’s expertise in supply chain research, business consulting services, software capabilities, and its own Integrated Supply Chain background.
Sanjeev Nagrath, Global Supply Chain Management Leader for IBM Global Business Services, said that the planning and launch phase for the center spanned nine months. Beijing was selected as the site for the center, so IBM could best leverage its team of supply chain researchers in its China-based research labs and to also address the supply chain needs of both local Chinese customers and multi-national companies for whom China is a key link in their global supply chain.
In terms of how the center will help customers leverage best practices for things like supply chain methods and techniques, Nagrath said that at the center IBM will train its clients in emerging markets to help them come up the supply chain maturity curve.
Sanjeev Nagrath said, ‘The key advantage of using this center is Speed to Benefit. Shippers will be able to leverage existing solutions and tailor them to their needs and for their most complex problems be able to tap into our research and development capabilities to come up with first-of-a kind solutions. Additionally, the center will be a gateway for our clients to tap into our 7,500+ customer worldwide Supply Chain practice.’
The phrase ‘Speed to Benefit’ is one of those splendid marketing phrases which so disfigure the English language. In this area the IT industry has a lot to answer for.
Source: Logistics Management