Supply Chain and Logistics Predictions for 2010

Demand Signal Repositories (DSR) market continues to grow briskly: Based on research ARC conducted for an upcoming market study, the DSR and related applications market grew 49 percent in 2009. And this occurred in the midst of a large global recession! Based on ARC estimates, i2 Technologies, a new entrant to the market at the end of 2008, grew its DSR-related revenues from under $1 million to over $10 million in one year.
We also estimate that IBM has grown its revenues in this area to over $10 million in three years, despite not offering a core DSR database product. And now Oracle has entered the market, and we expect the company to generate at least $10 million dollars in DSR-related revenues in the next five years. (i2, IBM, and Oracle are all ARC clients). Based on these factors, it's hard to imagine this still immature market not growing by a very health margin again next year.

Also look to Bluesky Tech - They have a killer app for FMCG

Google continues to roil the supply chain technology market: As I highlighted in a recent post, Google has shaken up the GPS and navigation industry with some recent announcements. Google is developing a map database to compete with the routing and navigation maps provided by NAVTEQ and Tele Atlas. The company also announced it is offering a free turn-by-turn (TBT) navigation app with its Android 2.0-based smart phones. I don't expect these to be the last announcements that surprise logisticians. I expect Google to continue investing in mobile technologies, in free cloud-based applications, and in other new areas designed to rattle its mortal enemy Microsoft. Google's primary focus is serving the mass consumer market, not providing logisticians with new solutions. Nevertheless, I expect to see more solutions based on Google technologies come to market in the supply chain arena.

Going Green: With the USA EPA ruling earlier this month that CO2 and other greenhouse gases are a danger to public health, thus giving it the power to regulate CO2 emissions under the Clean Air Act, some form of legislation from Congress is arguably the better poison for companies to swallow. The clear winners at this point: software vendors offering "carbon information management" solutions (see "Managing Carbon: A Green Opportunity for IT" and click here to read all our postings this past year related to sustainability).