I want to bring your attention to some information about two important CAPS Research activities. First, the 20th Annual International Executive Roundtable will be held April 15-17, 2009 in Scottsdale, Arizona. This CPO-level event has been held continuously for 20 years which is in itself a remarkable milestone. This year's event takes on additional importance because the current economic climate is both difficult and challenging. Supply management leadership is being tasked to find new ways to cut costs, optimize resources, and hone supply chain efficiencies. You can find out more about this CPO-level event by sending an email to researchevents@capsresearch.org.

Secondly, CAPS Research will release the next Executive Assessment questionnaire in early 2009. This highly regarded and effective assessment process helps supply management leaders determine the importance placed on their organization's critical supply strategies. The assessments are designed to help senior executives facilitate their organization's transformation by validating the current implementation state of their critical sourcing and supply chain strategies. The most recent executive assessment study titled, 'Supply Strategy Implementation: Current State and Future Opportunities' is now posted to the CAPS Research web site, and was made available to CAPS Research corporate sponsors earlier this year.

The bottom line is the fact that businesses are facing unprecedented uncertainty in the year ahead, and there is no better time than now to gain insights into successful strategies. I encourage you to contact us at research@capsresearch.org to learn more about the benefits and value proposition of CAPS Research.