Fuel prices, interest rates, carbon footprints and long, complex supplychains are all playing a part in a new trend that is seeing more companiesthan ever turn their attention to supply chain inefficiencies. This trend ishighlighted by supply chain experts Barloworld Optimus, who today announcedimpressive sales for the last quarter of 2006 as businesses realise the majorbenefits that can be achieved through effective supply chain planning andmanagement.

Barloworld Optimus has blown apart its new business salestargets, recording the highest number of new deals closed in a single quarterduring its 20 year history. The period (Sep06-Dec06) saw a 70% rise in closeddeals in comparison to the same period last year. Significantly, there wasalso a notable increase in the number of small and medium sized firms lookingto improve the efficiencies of their supply chains.

"A major factor in our record sales has been the realisation byorganisations that simplistic approaches to a complex problem are not goodenough any more. Efficient and effective supply chains create significantcompetitor advantage and more and more organisations are looking to improvethe way they plan their supply chains," comments Kevin Boake, Group Sales andMarketing Director of Barloworld Optimus.

According to Earth Times, this realisation has come about as a result of anumber of economic and environmental factors that have added complexity tothe supply chain.