Spinnaker Sees New Growth in Supply Chain Planning Software Market  

North American Firms Increase Investigation and Implementation of Supply Chain Applications

Denver, CO — August 31, 2011 — Spinnaker, a global leader in supply chain consulting and business process outsourcing, is seeing signs of substantial investment by North American firms in supply chain planning software and consulting services.

Through 2008, the market for supply chain planning software grew at a healthy pace, up to 19% in its peak year of 2007. However, in 2009 and 2010, most supply chain planning software vendors saw the market contract. Now, supply chain technology analysts like Gartner are predicting accelerated supply chain planning software spending through 2011 and into 2012. They suggest that companies will continue to invest in supply chain planning, despite the continuing challenging economic environment, because these companies recognize that improving their planning processes is still a significant area of opportunity to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

“There is a definite uptick in consumer product and high-tech companies investigating and purchasing new supply chain planning software solutions,” said John Sharkey, vice president of Spinnaker’s supply chain management consulting practice. “These industries often lead the market in terms of technological maturity, but we’re seeing other industries build steam as well, including energy, telecommunications and industrial products.”

“At Spinnaker, our consulting practice is growing as more firms recognize the need for outside assistance to make the most of these IT investments,” said Sharkey. “Companies realize they may lack the expertise and resources and to successfully navigate the supply chain technology landscape.”

“We have seen a significant increase in requests to assist clients in supply chain technology vendor selections, from rapid sourcing exercises with a short list of potential vendors, to larger efforts involving business process re-engineering, strategic software sourcing, and solution selection,” said Sharkey.

According to Rob Benson, Spinnaker’s co-founder and managing principal, consulting firms with strengths in supply chain planning, like Spinnaker, will need to be prepared to hire and develop additional consultants if they want to participate in this growth.

“We’re hiring new and seasoned supply chain planning and system experts to meet this increase in activity,” said Benson. “We see continued growth into 2012 in the market for supply chain planning software, and for consulting services that help companies select and implement the best solutions to meet their business goals.”

About Spinnaker

Founded in 2002, Spinnaker leads the industry with innovative supply chain solutions that help clients remain competitive in a global marketplace. Spinnaker offers a comprehensive service/solution mix ranging from supply chain consulting services, technology consulting services and business process outsourcing services.

Spinnaker has partnered with a range of clients from Fortune 500 companies to start-up enterprises, most of whom are market leaders in their respective industries. Spinnaker delivers supply chain excellence with world-class people, processes, technology and operational know-how. Headquartered in Denver, Spinnaker offices are also located in Boston and Memphis. To learn more, visit www.spinnakermgmt.com or call 877-476-0576.