17 SUPPLY CHAINS TO ADMIRE | 2025
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A Closer Look at Supply Chains to Admire Results by Industry
This analysis starts by mapping industry trends. Supply chain practices grew in importance as the margins of 85% of the industry sectors regressed over the last decade. Companies cannot drive progress based on traditional process paradigms without redesigning the supply chain. In many organizations, inventory is a sticky wicket—a political hot potato. At the end of 2022, inventory levels were significantly higher across industries than pre-recession levels in 2007. Today, many companies have burgeoning inventories but lack
the right products to ship orders reliably. They are drowning in inventory, decreasing cash-to-cash performance, but have the wrong products to ship orders. The lack of performance in inventory optimization is a significant factor in determining the winners in the Supply Chains to Admire Award process.
Table 7. Inventory Levels by Industry Sector Across Time Periods
Days of Inventory by Industry: Comparison across Years
Years
Diffeence (2023 - 2024 vs 2004 - 2006)
Industries
2004 - 2006 2007 - 2008 2009 - 2013 2014 - 2019 2020 - 2022 2023 - 2034
Semiconductor
61
68
80
91
80
138
77
Pharmaceuticals
155
144
170
195
200
216
61
Beverage
115
119
138
191
164
169
54
Medical Device
110
113
131
143
159
162
52
Automotive Parts
49
55
64
69
83
83
34
Beauty
89
108
116
125
124
121
32
Chemical
62
58
64
80
86
93
31
Household Products
50
51
57
73
67
74
24
Apparel Retail
62
65
66
69
76
82
20
Aerospace & Defense
94
89
97
103
118
113
19
Automotive
35
39
41
45
49
51
16
Food
50
51
56
58
56
60
10
Broadline Retail
65
62
63
66
47
48
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