Manufacturing outlook 2004/05 - More bang for your buck

In a bid to secure competitive advantage, we are all striving to lower our cost base and improve bottom line performance. Streamlining supply chain systems and processes can deliver a vital combination of reduced stock levels and lead-times, reduced WIP, better asset utilisation, improved use of production sites, increased productivity and superior service to customers.

But what if the financial benefit of these initiatives could be improved long-term? By limiting your field of vision to operations alone, you could be missing a trick – the smart companies are leveraging their supply chains through integrated tax planning and proactively managing a business cost which is often ignored.