Beef Industry to Benefit from Logistics Research Program
AUSTRALIA - The Logistics Association of Australia Limited (LAA Ltd) has announced that, following its review of expressions of interest from universities and corporate organizations, a consortium comprising logistics Bureau, Benchmarking Success and the University of Western Sydney has been appointed to undertake an indepth study into ‘Strategic fit and performance issues in supply chain alliance decisions in the beef sector of Australian agri-business’.
3 October 2006
2 minute read
Supply chain issues over the past decade have increasingly become the focus of industry as ongoing operational improvements within companies are no longer yielding the huge gains that were previously obtained. As it has been estimated that 80% of supply chain costs are contained within their design, actively selecting and designing appropriate supply chains will shift the basis of competition in industry and yield competitive advantages to the companies that take up the challenge.
The optimal solution is to take a more holistic approach to improving the supply chain. This requires companies to align their activities, process, and culture to their customers’ demand. Thus there is a need for research to be completed to understand the way the supply chain in specific sectors operates in order to design improvements in strategic alignment and fit.
The key focus of the Beef Chain Consortium will be the Australian economy and the agri-business industry, specifically the supply chain of the beef sector. Despite the impact of a decade of drought, the Australian beef industry is experiencing strong growth. One major factor contributing to this is the “clean” industry image affording Australian beef a competitive advantage over other nations that are struggling with disease and health issues.
The Consortium’s research will examine current supply chain issues and possible issues in the near future and outline the changes required to achieve improved alignment between customers and suppliers along with identifying the appropriate measurement metrics to support and embed the proposed changes.
The research will be conducted in compliance with the requirements of LAA Ltd to carry out best practice case studies, to consult with stakeholders, analyse and interpret the data collected and present the findings by 30th April, 2007.
Project Director heading the consortium is Maurice Sinclair, CEO Logistics Bureau, assisted by Kate Hughes, Consultant and PhD candidate, and Artie Leslie, MD of Benchmarking Success. The University of Western Sydney will partner this research group and provide experienced research personnel and appropriate methodological approaches.
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