In order to go a step further, we must stand for an innovative Supply Chain that is sustainable, qualitative, affordable, collaborative, and inclusive of all colleagues, stakeholder, and partners in our organisations, there has to be a mental shift of behaviour and thinking on the best for the future.
INNOVATION: to make innovation work, it can only be achieved by three main capabilities:
1. TECHNICAL INNOVATION:
The end-to-end supply chain is defined as the total system created when we connect all supply chain and logistics processes; starting at the customer and working upstream through manufacturing and into our supplier base, extract relevant data from written documents that define compliance rules and then we can identify orders that are at risk of failure.
The Digital supply chain will bring insights into how organisations can unlock business value from a huge selection of data sources to transform the customer experience. The data from the digital supply chain makes it possible to pinpoint arrival date and make precise adjustments to eliminate waste.
A cognitive supply chain is what happens when you take a digital supply chain and apply artificial intelligence, a process that uses statistical analysis to predict failure point.
Applying Machine Learning to the data enables a supply chain system to learn from patterns in the overflow of data and extend them into the future, predicting when and where failure points are likely to occur.
Cloud technology captures, reports and leverages important data and provides insight into SC performance. It must have analytics platforms that allow you to assess partners, be informed on risk management, and analyses the effects of the system on profit margins to enable organisations to reduce costs.
Automation and Collaboration systems allow us to get the right information.
2. PROCESS INNOVATION:
Advanced forecasting allows managers to better match supply and demand requirements to avoid out of stock and avoid excess dead-stock, optimise inventory, execute promotions, connect with consumers, meet buyer expectations and improve service throughout the value chain when combined with advanced automation, thinking and learning, in supply chains.
Supply Chain visibility most important is DATA, absolutely key to make our SC more proactive, predictive and reactive, to be able to scale in the future. This changes the focus onto operations and the Supply Chain, which provides the experience, with the right mind set, the right visibility, the right communication mechanisms for you to boost the customer demand or adjust these changing requirements back to your supply chain effectively.
3. SOCIAL INNOVATION:
To really make a change, make your story simple, clear and concise, so that everybody can understand it; integrate the people who work, help them to adapt and change, as it implies a change of behaviour and a fresh mindset within the entire Supply Chain. Find professionals who are willing to collaborate if you do not have the knowledge to innovate. Try to involve people from all levels to make them aware of the cultural shift and why you are doing it. Look for people who understand the objectives, who suggest ideas to meet solutions to different problems, discussing the methods and pinpointing solutions. Look for people with a digital mindset, with excellent horizontal collaboration skills and good communication for better strategic tactics.
Enterprises must have the ability to transform their supply chains into highly efficient, intelligent, and adaptable networks, positioned to flourish in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. Seek partners with the right knowledge, energy and motivation, so innovation and cooperation amongst the team ensures a team willing to work together.
Conclusions are; Supply Chain visibility (End-to-end visibility) is absolutely key to make our Supply Chains more proactive, predictive, and reactive.
The Internet of Things (IoT) on mobile, collaborative and cloud-based platforms, applying predictive analytics to all supply chain processes, automating digital manufacturing, customer service and distribution with robotics and drones, the use of artificial intelligence (AI), means improved intelligent visibility, these tools will equip your business with key information to truly set you apart from the competition.
“More than half of outperforming Supply Chain executives surveyed said their top investment in the next three years, will be cognitive or cloud, and that cognitive computing will transform their demand planning and forecasting capabilities” (IBM Institute for Business Value, Executive Report, 2017).
So how are you preparing to out perform your competitors supply chain?
Dave Food