James E. Cooke ran an article on Sept 18 in DC Velocity, “A Network Design is Never Done.”
This is a nice article that highlights a trend we are seeing as well. Their article quotes a Tompkins Supply Chain Consortium study that shows that the average time between studies has decreased from 24 months to 18 months. Since this is the average, many firms are likely doing studies every 6 or 12 months with some doing studies on an on-going basis.
The article sites changing customer demand, the need for contingency plans, and volatile oil prices as some of the reasons for on-going network design.
This article is another reminder of the importance of network design on the overall performance of your firm.