View a list of available daily and weekly email newsletters from Computerworld. Another part of the plan includes the high-speed sharing of key sales and business data throughout Caterpillar and between its product design department and the suppliers that work with the company. With a multitude of product options, he noted, there are thousands of different configurations that customers could potentially order. However, Caterpillar didn't disclose a specific time frame for completing the supply-chain project. The harder part will be managing the required business-process changes, he added.
Some pieces are in place already.
Calif. Caterpillar certainly could realize huge savings from the supply-chain project, Greenbaum said, but it remains to be seen whether the ambitious initiative can be fully executed. Many of Caterpillar's suppliers also sell their products to the big automakers and are already stressing their internal information technology resources in order to get connected to public and private online marketplaces, Greenbaum noted. Send your suggestions to our Community Manager . Leave spaces between multiple words. Computerworld Inc. All rights reserved.