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GLOBAL OUTLOOK
FOCUS 20
When it comes to future proofi ng a business, it is essential to have a solid supply chain in place. Collaborative working gives companies the edge but supplier visibility is key.
by STEPHEN COOPER
W
hat next for manufacturers?
Companies have fought hard to streamline costs during the recent years
of upheaval but attention is now turning to the future. The answer, according to KPMG International’s fourth annual Global Manufacturing Outlook, lies in the supply chain.
The survey, which collected the views of over 335 manufacturing executives across the world, highlights a shift in the approach of the sector, as companies concentrate their efforts on improving the quality and effi ciency of the supply chain. The need to keep costs under control remains a motivation but the survey clearly shows that a new dimension has been added. Digital technology and the development
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a UK limited liability partnership, is a subsidiary of KPMG Europe LLP and a member fi rm of the KPMG network of independent member fi rms affi liated with KPMG International Cooperative, a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
of exciting new innovations such as 3D printing are opening new horizons in the manufacturing sector and companies are positioning themselves to maximise the potential benefi ts.
Long-term partnerships
Collaboration, particularly with skilled partners, is the key. Half of the fi rms questioned for the survey said the future of innovation lies in partnerships rather than in-house R&D and the supply chain is a potentially rich source of ideas. Innovation is seen as critical to future competitiveness and investment, and this area is on the increase – 42% of those questioned said they expected to invest more than 4% of their revenue in R&D over the coming two years, compared with 28% that had invested a similar proportion over the past two years.
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