McDonald’s snares second spot in Gartner top 25 supply chain list

When it comes to supply chain leadership and best practices, a fast food chain beat out the world’s leading e-commerce and discount retailers.



According to the new Gartner Inc. Supply Chain Top 25 ranking, McDonald’s led all retail chains with the number two ranking. Consumer products giant Unilever ranked first among all companies.



Other retailers included on the list, based on the most recent full-year data available and 2015 data when possible, were Amazon.com (#3), H&M (#5), Starbucks (#12), and Walmart (#16). Nike ranked #11.



As part of the rankings, Gartner released a list of what it sees as the current leading supply chain trends. These included the use of advanced analytics to aid in running multiple parts of their operations, spanning the entire end-to-end supply chain. Of interest to retailers, Gartner said this trend encompasses permission-based auto-replenishment of CPG products based on signals from Internet-connected smart sensors embedded in the products at consumers' homes. The usage data captured as part of this process is used to generate better demand forecasts based on usage personas and to inform the design of new products entering the pipeline.



In addition, Gartner identified customer-centricity, end-to-end visibility and an increased emphasis on corporate social responsibility as leading supply chain trends.



Metrics for the rankings included return on assets, inventory turns, revenue growth, corporate social responsibility, peer opinion and Gartner opinion.