We could certainly quibble with some of this, as a company like Illinois Tool Works (ITW), for example, still largely runs independent supply chains across its dozens of divisions versus a more centralize supply chain operation that could be singled out for excellence, but the numbers are what the numbers are.

It is also not clear how the three non-US companies on the list (Atlas Copco, Haier, and ABB) made the list, or rather why many other non-US firms were not on the list.

Gartner suggests that there are six areas of capabilities that separate the top industrial supply chains from the rest:

Investment in Innovation and New Product Launches: The leading industrial manufacturing companies are investing heavily in their new products and services innovation, Gartner says, and offer different products to different regions and market development levels.

Comprehensive Supply Chain Models Designed for Emerging Markets: The speed at which the leading industrial companies are building emerging market supply networks is putting a lot of pressure on the after-market side of their businesses, Gartner says, noting that these companies need a strong service and support presence right from start.

Postponement Using Common Components in Product Design: Leading companies couple common designs with postponement strategies. They have a good understanding of demand on the aggregate component level. They also produce semi-finished products to sub-assembly inventory, and produce the final product to demand pull signals, Gartner argues.

Improved End-to-End Supply Chain Visibility: Leading industrial manufacturing companies have initiated visibility programs that range from master data cleansing and governance efforts to the implementation of IT tools extending across company boundaries on both the supplier and customer end of extended supply chains, Gartner says.

Strong Local Talent in New Markets: Industrial manufacturing companies are developing a strong local presence to support customers as they enter new markets in emerging regions, Gartner says. The industrial companies have achieved positive results from a center-led model in which a corporate or business unit level supply chain center of excellence (COE) participates in setting up the common processes and assists in the hiring and training of local talent.

Implementation of Lean Six Sigma Transformation Programs: The Lean Six Sigma programs and initiatives that industrial manufacturers are implementing and maturing have been very successful in terms of reducing cost, improving manufacturing cycle times and optimizing inventory, Gartner says.

On the latter point, SCDigest would have liked to have Gartner be more specific about what makes the leaders' Lean Six Sigma programs better than those of the rest of the pack.

So there you have it - as we always say, the Gartner methodology is far from perfect, but it's the best we have.

What is your reaction to the Gartner Top 10 industrial supply chains? How can the process be improved? Let us know your thoughts at the Feedback section below.