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by Jeff Moad, MA Editorial Staff   | Abstract: | Whether in high tech or high fiber, supply chain savvy boosts growth. Just ask Progressive Manufacturing award winners IBM and Sunsweet. |
This interview is an abridged version of a broader conversation with executives from IBM and Sunsweet Growers Inc. To listen to the full interview and others in the Progressive Manufacturing Roundtable series, click here. It would be difficult to think of two manufacturing companies that are more different from one another than IBM Corp. and Sunsweet Growers Inc. A $91 billion high-tech manufacturing giant, IBM competes globally against some of the world's largest technology providers. Sunsweet, on the other hand, is a $250 million maker of dried fruit products and often competes against small, regional, low-cost providers. Yet, the two companies do have some things in common. Over the past few years, both have made improving their supply chains cornerstones of their business strategies. And, for their efforts, both have been named Managing Automation Progressive Manufacturing award winners in the Supply Network mastery category. IBM was the High Achiever winner in the category in 2006, and Sunsweet was a Progressive Manufacturing 50 award winner in 2007. Recently, Managing Automation Executive Editor Jeff Moad spoke with Tim Carroll, vice president of global supply chain operations at IBM, and Harold Upton, vice president of strategic business processes at Sunsweet, about how their companies plan to continue to gain competitive advantage by streamlining their supply chains. [Click to continue] |