Wake up call for UK IT managers on poor integration

The company sponsored research among 374 IT managers in the UK, France and Germany, and found that less than half (47%) of UK IT managers believe their companies have implemented effective internal IT process integration across the business, compared, for example, to 90% of German IT managers. Similarly, only 30% of UK IT managers feel their company has successfully integrated the IT processes of external supply chain partners, suppliers and customers, compared to 85% in Germany and 63% in France. Also, despite the fact that 69% of UK IT managers feel their company operates in a global supply chain that is more complex than it was three years ago, only 32% of UK IT managers admit that this lack of integration is limiting their business’s ability to compete on a global level. Chris Hayes, senior product marketing manager for Sterling Commerce says: “This report should serve a wake up call to UK businesses. In the globalised business environment, companies that can collaborate closely with supply chain partners from all over the world will out-compete their rivals and truly benefit from business without borders. “Integrated supply chains allow companies to reduce costs, cut time to market for new products and quickly adapt to changes in customer demand. “German and French companies are currently considerably more advanced than the UK in terms of improving internal systems integration and more importantly they are integrating their global supply chain partners more effectively. “Considering that only four per cent of UK companies manage process integration with partners and customers through a single, centralised B2B gateway, there is a clear and pressing need for IT managers in the UK to start making IT process integration a business priority.”