Why Manufacturers Need Supply Chain Management in the Cloud

The days of predictability within the supply chain are gone. Today, business environments are more dynamic, as customer demands constantly shift, supply capacities dwindle, and supply chain disruptions occur. Supply chains have had to respond by being more agile and in-the-know.

And as more businesses have become digital, the cloud has in turn become an essential foundation to enable that agility. The software-as-a-service model (SaaS) in the cloud for supply chain management is estimated to become a US $4.4 billion opportunity by 2018. And for good reason, cloud delivers the essentials businesses’ need to stay competitive through connectivity, intelligence, scalability, and performance.

Connectivity

Connectivity gives you unprecedented visibility and real-time information—across the extended supply chain. Collaborating closely with your suppliers, customers, and employees means you are all working with a single source of truth that’s accurate—even when things change. This gives you the ability to improve product or service delivery to meet your customers’ shifting demands.

Intelligence

Gain access to the right information at the right time with on-line tracking and analytics that leverages data from throughout your supply chain. Analytics can help you identify areas of improvement in your operations so you are better prepared when shifts or changes occur. With supply chain automation, you can drive operational efficiency even more.

Scalability

The cloud offers a flexible, usage-based model so you can scale up or down with relative ease. IT infrastructure can be quickly changed to take account of how your business responds to the volatility of customer demands and market conditions. And because all of this is the responsibility of the provider, you don’t have to take on the burden of managing hardware or software, or suffer through the endless cycle of upgrades and re-implementations.

Speed

With the cloud, you gain faster planning and execution for quicker time to market. Enhanced mobility, flexibility, and responsiveness to market conditions comes from better information to support rapid and data-driven, decision making—anytime, anywhere. The ability to quickly shift resources at short notice ensures that supplies always meet changing demands.

Cloud-based supply chain management offers tremendous benefits for businesses that are looking for increasing competitiveness. Don’t get left behind. Consider the connectivity, intelligence, scalability, and performance you’ll gain throughout your global supply chain. Learn more by downloading: Six Game Changers About Cloud ERP.