A flexible supply chain organization requires not only a strategic leader, but also input from managers who represent the traditional supply chain functions of planning, sourcing, manufacturing, logistics, and also sales and marketing, among others.
Leverage Technology for End-to-End Transparency
Supply chain managers need information fast to quickly respond to volatile business demands. That’s where technology can help.
In the past, suppliers often employed disparate applications and data formats, which slowed delivery of information to supply chain managers. Today, however, emerging technology standards enable greater supply chain transparency and data analytics—at a lower cost. This, in part, explains why PwC’s Global Supply Chain Survey found that more than half of respondents said they are implementing or plan to add new tools for better process automation, efficiency and transparency (see chart below).
To harness the power of Big Data, several forward-thinking businesses are collaborating with research universities to explore analytical methods and tools to advance supply chain management. Others are leveraging analytics to develop detailed supply chain models to quantify the impact of fundamental operational changes.
As cloud computing becomes mainstream, many businesses are embracing the technology to take advantage of flexible, scalable platforms for data sharing. Increasingly, supply chain leaders are using the cloud to manage orders, shipments and inventory across the entire supply chain, eliminating delays and improving service.
