What's ahead for supply chains in 2011?

Here are 10 trends that will affect manufacturers' supply chains this year, according to IDC Manufacturing Insights analysts Simon Ellis and Kimberly Knickle in their report, "Worldwide Supply Chain 2011 Top 10 Predictions":

1. Manufacturers will look for ways to drive out unnecessary supply chain complexity through segmentation, simplification, and the use of practical analytics.
2. Information technology (IT) vendors will continue to develop business intelligence and analytic tools to enable manufacturers to improve decision making.
3. More supply chain organizations will recognize the importance of supply-side responsiveness.
4. Supply chain visibility will climb higher on the IT priority list as manufacturers look to achieve cost savings and improve service levels.
5. Supply chains will see the benefits of reducing lead times through nearshoring strategies.
6. Cost containment will continue to drive outsourcing, including the use of knowledge workers for specific assignments.
7. Manufacturers will attain fulfillment excellence through wider use of transportation, warehousing, and labor management software.
8. As manufacturers outsource more and expand globally, they will improve information sharing and collaborative processes.
9. More manufacturers will use "cloud-based" software to improve supply chain communication and collaboration.
10. Manufacturers will increasingly adopt mobility applications and smart devices.