Report Analyzes Supply-Chain Management Strengths, Weaknesses

Compiled ByDeborah Austin Supply-chain automation's future centers upon a new class of software called supply-chain event management (SCEM), suggests a recent report "The Evolving Supply Chain: Visibility and Event Management" from research/consulting firm Yankee Group, Boston. SCEM's approach differs from traditional solutions, says Yankee, offering proactive supply-chain-event management versus a reactive one. It's more adaptive (based on real-time supply/demand signals), decentralized and external (gathering real-time data from multiple sources and converting it into useful information). But hurdles remain. There are technical challenges with common data models and digitizing, and process and cultural changes with proprietary-information concerns. Among Yankee's suggestions for SCEM implementation:

Choose integrated solutions that include six key areas: collaborate, monitor, notify, optimize, resolve and analyze.

Start internally and collaborate with divisions, then expand to key Tier 1 or Tier 2 partners.