Added value by outsourcing of SCEM solutions: Background and technical basis

Abstract

Enterprises successfully practising supply chain management generally have a higher profit margin. Currently it is, however, very difficult for many enterprises to recover the spent capital expenditure. Until now the traditional target of outsourcing was cost saving. Meanwhile quality assurance and preserving enterprise-external expert know-how are pushing to the fore. This becomes more and more a prerequisite to compete at the world market in general. Thus, outsourcing is and remains an important business model. In the traditional comparison German enterprises, for example, were more reserved regarding outsourcing. Whereas preferably projects easily to be delimited were given to external service providers in the past, it nowadays are increasingly complex fields entirely integrated in the enterprise not seldom requiring more than only one expert. In the course of internationalization and export orientation also logistics is continuously developing. It has become a main component of the world market. In contrast to the fields of transport and warehouse for added value services as network management or in the procurement, order and start-up management a considerably higher growth potential is to be expected. Here, instead of simple fulfilment of tasks and pure cost focusing, an increasing innovation generation and sustainable gain for the own enterprise is expected by the service provider. The demand for innovations can be met by the service provider by an extension of its competence, only. Technological innovations - as e.g. RFID - are still pursued with great interest by the logistic management. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.