The Gartner Supply Chain Top 25 for 2013

Analysis
2013 marks the ninth year of our annual Supply Chain Top 25 ranking. Alongside some perennial leaders with new lessons to share, this year’s list offers up three new companies, a growing group of industrials from which to learn and two newcomers to the top five.

At the heart of the Supply Chain Top 25 is the notion of demand-driven leadership. We’ve been researching and writing about demand-driven practices since 2003, highlighting the journey companies are taking — from the old “push” model of supply chain to one that integrates demand, supply and product into a value network that orchestrates a profitable response to ever-shifting changes in demand.

The Supply Chain Top 25 identifies the leaders on this journey: which companies are furthest along the path, and what can we all learn from them? Our goal is consistent year after year — illuminate the path to excellence, and fuel the innovation, growth and success of supply chain practitioners around the world.

The Notable Trends
Each year, our analysts talk to and research the supply chains of hundreds of companies. Through these discussions, we note the trends: What are the leaders focusing on, where are they investing time and effort and what can be applied broadly? Three key trends stand out this year.

Looking Ahead
In its nine years to date, the Supply Chain Top 25 has served as a spark for the global discussion and debate that we believe are essential to help constantly push the envelope of innovation for all of us in the supply chain profession.

As Gartner’s supply chain research group, we remain committed to sharing the leading lessons, best practices, and characteristics that will inspire and challenge the supply chain community as a whole to new levels of performance and contribution.