During the summer of 2004, Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) and Supply Chain Management Review conducted a survey among readers of the magazine and selected business organizations known to have some form of ASCM effort under way. The feedback came from 209 companies, of which 115 were corporations or independent businesses; 58 were divisions, wholly owned subsidiaries, or strategic business units; and 33 were group or multidivision organizations. The industries represented in the survey included aerospace and defense, automotive, chemicals, consumer goods, discrete manufacturing, food service, government, healthcare, high technology, mining, oil and gas, process manufacturing, professional services, publishing and printing, retail, telecommunications, utilities, and wholesale distribution; 23 firms listed their business as "other."

The survey was intended to find answers to such questions as:

• Where have supply chain efforts gone?

• What are the documented results?

• What are the leaders doing?

• What variation exists across industries?

• What is the link with technology?

In summary, the results provided the following answers:

• Most businesses, regardless of industry, reported that their results positioned them predominantly in levels 2 and 3, with evidence that most companies tend to bog down somewhere in this area; 91% of the respondents indicated they were no further along than level 3.

• Most of the documented progress, as expected, was reported in the areas of sourcing and logistics, followed by planning and inventory management. Those responding rated progress with other areas of importance much lower.

• Collaboration with external business allies remains an elusive concept...