Supply Chain Technology Priorities for 2015: Optimism drives innovation, but caution still limiting investments

In its 2-part Business Priorities 2015 report, ChainLink Research, Inc., of Newton, Mass., examined companies' technology priorities and future prospects. Done annually, the report is based on a survey that's designed to "get companies thinking about what they've been doing and what they plan to do" on the technology front, says Ann Grackin, CEO.

The report, which is available in two parts (Part 1, Part 2; requires registration) from the research firm, aims to step away from the hype and examine the changing priorities of players in the supply chain landscape, covering manufacturing, distribution, retail, logistics, and solutions. One of the top line results in 2015 is the growth in focus on innovation (red in the graph below) as compared with other popular goals like operational excellence (red) or sales growth (green).

In assessing the 2015 results, Grackin says she's once again disappointed in the low scores associated with and attention being paid to cyber-security. "How many times do companies have to be hit over the head with this challenge?" asks a frustrated Grackin, who calls cyber-security a big problem for a wide swath of companies. Still, just 4 percent of firms view it as an issue (versus 5 percent last year). "I would have expected to see the needle move a heckuva lot more than ...