This edition of the monthly newsletter provides information about CAPS Research documents that are now available at the CAPS Research public website (www.capsresearch.org) as well as information on benchmarking activities and other news about our programs and events. Please note that all first-time visitors need to create a user login profile to access the research documents.

Newly Published Resources at (www.capsresearch.org):

Focus Study: Supply Chain Integration - Challenges and Good Practices
Competitive challenges of the last decade have a strong direct effect on supply chain strategy and integration. This report, authored by Phillip Carter, D.B.A., Robert Monzcka Ph.D., Gary Ragatz, Ph.D., and Peter Jennings, focuses on two key issues — alignment and linkage and how supply chain management must support the broader business strategy of the enterprise. The research identifies four critical supply strategy areas along with key supply chain processes and enablers, and lists the fourteen key challenges organizations must meet to achieve true supply chain integration. The report includes illustrative practices from case studies and industry analyses for five sectors, detailing competitive forces and supply chain integration's critical role.

• Click here to access the Focus Study, "Supply Chain Integration: Challenges and Good Practices."

Benchmarking: Market Basket of Goods Metric Report for MRO Goods
This year marks the first time that the MRO report has been changed since it was first published in 2006. The report is comprised of 45 commonly purchased MRO items ranging from Ball Valves and Bearings to Visors and Wiper Sheets. In addition to showing the average and median prices for each of the 45 market basket items, the report also shows the percent of items purchased that were actual or equivalent.

• Click here to access the 2009 Benchmarking Report, "Market Basket of Goods Metric Report for MRO Goods."

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Benchmarking Opportunities:

• Cross-Industry Benchmarking: The highly regarded Cross-Industry Report of Standard Benchmarks has been revised starting with an updated survey that was released on March 24th, 2009. The Cross-Industry report provides a standard set of key metrics that measure supply management performance across various industry sectors. Last year, 250 companies participated in this benchmarking opportunity. If you or someone at your organization did not receive information about how to participate, contact the CAPS Research benchmarking team at: metrics@capsresearch.org so you may participate in the fall update..
  
  
• Benchmarking surveys in data collection:
  -Low-Cost Country Sourcing and Procurement Focused Report
  -Petroleum Industry
  -Pharmaceutical Industry
  -Semiconductor Industry
  -Utilities Industry
  
  
• New surveys scheduled for release in late May and June:
  -Market Basket of Goods for Office Supplies
  -Metals & Mining Industry
  -Shared Services Centers

Do You Want To Benchmark? If the answer is 'Yes,' you should contact the benchmarking team at CAPS Research to get your company added to the list of companies who will be asked to provide data for the 2009 survey releases. Just send an email to metrics@capsresearch.org asking for more information about benchmarking opportunities.

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News:

• Measuring Supplier Environmental Sustainability for the Electric Utility Industry: The Electric Utility Industry Sustainable Supply Chain Alliance is a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization that has environmental sustainability as its core purpose. The Alliance has partnered with CAPS Research to develop a survey that gauges the environmental sustainability maturity of key suppliers; identifies opportunities for improvement; provides a baseline that the Alliance can use for quantitative measures and future trending; and supports an annual sustainability evaluation of suppliers. For more information on this environmental sustainability initiative send an email to research@capsresearch.org.
  
  
• Executive Assessment - The CAPS Research executive assessment process helps supply management leaders determine the importance placed on their organization's critical supply strategies. The assessments are designed to help senior executives facilitate their organization's transformation by validating the current implementation state of their critical sourcing and supply chain strategies. For more information send an email to dmaciejewski@capsresearch.org.
  
  
• The CAPS Research 2008 Annual Report provides a financial summary, a listing of the Board of Trustees, and a listing of all CAPS Research sponsor organizations as of December 31, 2008. Click here to access the 2008 CAPS Research Annual Report.

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Knowledge Central:
The following reports and information are now published on www.capsknowledge.org which is a sponsor-only searchable archive of CAPS Research studies, leading-edge practices, benchmarking reports and best practices presentations:

• Benchmarking - Aerospace & Defense Industry Metric Report
• Focus Study - Front-End Loading: Supply Management and New Product Development in Japan

Please note that only CAPS Research sponsor organizations have full access to Knowledge Central. If you haven't already done so, I encourage you to click on Knowledge Central Overview for a short, five-minute guided tour of our Sponsor website, Knowledge Central.

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For more information about CAPS Research programs and products please contact us at Research@capsresearch.org.

Sincerely,
Phillip Carter, D.B.A.
Executive Director
CAPS Research

CAPS Research is a global research organization jointly sponsored by the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, and the Institute for Supply Management™.

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