Global Trade IT Strategy anyone?

Hi

The article in supply chain digest titled "Global Logistics News: Technology Enablement in Global Logistics and Trade Management Remains Well Behind Growth in Global Sourcing" touched a raw nerve:

http://www.scdigest.com/assets/On_Target/08-08-20-1.php?cid=1865

The article talks about how IT initiative in Global Trade are reactionary. I entirely agree. I would be surprised if the approach changes. Why? Here are some reasons:

a) IT is considered as a cost center and isn't considered a strategic partner. Trade Compliance/Global Trade IT gets lumped into the same bucket. Often operations/business folks want to control IT strategy. I think it needs to be a partnership.

b) There aren't enough Global Trade/Trade Compliance IT professionals around to provide the right kind of vision and direction. Global Trade IT is a relatively new area. The number of professionals with the right knowledge and skills to work on a roadmap is limited. Even if they have the vision they may be constrained by my comment in a).

Let's hope company's start taking Global Trade IT initiatives more seriously and start getting the right IT people together to work on roadmaps.

Cheers

Oracle's Global Trade Management product

Hi

I am sure a lot of you know that Oracle is working on it's GTM product. Considering that Oracle and SAP are the two big ERP vendors, I think that Oracle is way behind in the GTM space as SAP came out with it's GTS product 4-6 years ago.

The last I read was an Aberdeen report that said Oracle was working on it's GTM product:

http://www.aberdeen.com/summary/report/market_alert/MA_OracleGT_BE_3883.asp

I can't find anymore information online.

Any idea when the first version will be out? Do you think they will be able to give SAP and other big vendors such as Vastera and Management Dynamics a run for their money. If yes, within how many years of launching? Let me know your thoughts :)