The report highlights that many companies are not fully utilizing the potential of supply chain excellence practices. The study, conducted by Arthur D. Little in collaboration with the University of St. Gallen and the Bundesverband für Materialwirtschaft und Einkauf (BME), found that only a third of the participants had systematic supplier development programs to enhance logistics performance. The report also mentions two key excellence practices: knowing critical service levels that significantly affect customer purchasing decisions and tailoring supply chains to meet the service requirements of different customer segments. The use of the logistical pull principle can also reduce lead times and inventory levels. The Supply Chain Performance Excellence Index (SPE-Index) developed by Arthur D. Little measures the performance of supply chains by evaluating a company's performance against best practices in six fields: key performance indicators, strategy and goals, supply chain design, supplier management, demand management, and performance management. The study shows that with these concepts and practices, the number of complete, timely, and high-quality deliveries can be increased to up to 98%, and supply chain costs can be reduced by 20-30%.
