MDM has covered the evolution and competitive landscape of integrated supply for more than 20 years. This article, an update to the 2005 analysis, looks at how integrated supply fits into the distribution landscape in 2010, as well as ways distributors continue to refine the model to meet evolving customer needs for a unique set of distribution services.
Nearly everyone MDM has asked about the role integrated supply in recent years has replied in the same way. First: “How do you define integrated supply?” And then comes the answer that has been around since the beginning: “If you’ve seen one integrated supply contract, you’ve seen one.”
Different distributors call different services integrated supply, and there is still no strict agreement on the breadth or depth of services the model entails. The focus of …