Press Release

IDC Manufacturing Insights Releases Top 10 Predictions for EMEA Manufacturing in 2010

MILAN, Italy, March 1, 2010 – IDC Manufacturing Insights recently released a new report, which covers IDC Manufacturing Insights' top 10 predictions for the European, Middle Eastern, and African (EMEA) manufacturing industry in 2010.

"In 2010, the European economy will grow again with manufacturing enterprises going back to invest in ICT. However, the expectations are for a soft upturn, resulting in tough market competition for domestic markets and the need to exploit new emerging markets, particularly China," said Pierfrancesco Manenti, EMEA research director, IDC Manufacturing Insights. "To win the global competitive battle, European manufacturers will have to differentiate by achieving operational excellence in all business areas. To reach that goal it is essential for manufacturers to have real-time visibility and intelligence about what's happening across the boundaries of their organization and along the value chain."

Specific 2010 manufacturing top 10 predictions for EMEA are:

1. Achieving operational excellence will be essential to take advantage of the soft upturn
2. Real-time, intelligent value chains will enable manufacturers to achieve operational excellence
3. Manufacturers will apply lean innovation principles to support business strategy
4. Manufacturing companies will see factory assets as part of a fulfillment network
5. Manufacturing and supply chain execution investments will converge in a single fulfillment execution system
6. Manufacturers will rethink their global supply chain structures, embracing the profitable proximity sourcing approach
7. Enterprises will move beyond mere compliance and will consider sustainability a business priority
8. Manufacturers will foster business mobility to exploit emerging markets and become truly global
9. CIOs will adopt consumption-based ICT cost models
10. IT spending growth will recover in 2010, although pre-crisis growth rates will remain a memory

In the IDC Manufacturing Insights study, EMEA Manufacturing 2010 Top 10 Predictions (Doc #MIAS02S/ Feb 2010), by Pierfrancesco Manenti, presents IDC Manufacturing Insights' top 10 predictions for the EMEA manufacturing industry in 2010. The study was also presented as part of a Web conference on February 2nd, 2010. Recordings from the webcast can be found here: http://www.idc-mi.com/downloads/EMEA_MI_Top10_2010/MI_Top10_form.jsp

This report is available for purchase at www.idc-mi.com

For media enquiries or more information on how to get a copy of this report, please contact: Cinzia Rinelli, IDC's European Vertical Markets and EMEA Industry Insights at +39 02 28457 367 or crinelli@idc.com.

About IDC Manufacturing Insights

IDC Manufacturing Insights provides business and IT decision-makers with fact-based research and analysis to inform and support critical business decisions. The global independent research and advisory firm closely follows processes associated with the design, development and distribution of goods across markets including Discrete Manufacturing, Process Manufacturing, High Tech/Electronics Manufacturing, Consumer Packaged Goods and Retail. IDC Manufacturing Insights’ research and analysis is critical for end-users, as well as hardware and software vendors, service providers, and purveyors of IT outsourcing. Founded in January 2005, IDC Manufacturing Insights is headquartered in Framingham, Mass. To know more, visit www.idc-mi.com

International Data Corporation (IDC) is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading IT media, research and exposition company.

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