SCM Insights · Technology Advanced analytics: from data-driven to outcome-driven analytics The obsession to know the futureHuman beings have been and always will be obsessed with knowing the future with the wonder that if they know what will happen they can make better decisions and achieve better results.In business, the obsession is the same. In the last 15 years of my working experience, I have seen, participated in, and delivered work on contributing to forecast modeling and analytics. What I learned is that as soon as the prediction is out, it is by definition not the truth nor the reality of the future, but rather an estimation of what will or might happen. Whatever the method, a prediction is just a prediction, that’s it. In best cases, it becomes a support for decision-making but it should not be the only criteria to make decisions. (more…)
SCM Insights How to implement an efficient risk management system The coronavirus pandemic has posed enormous, unprecedented challenges for companies. Efficient risk management plays a central role in meeting these challenges. It is not so much a question of whether the current situation could have been anticipated and planned for. Rather, the focus is on how companies can now best protect their core processes and increase the resilience of their operations. (more…)
Inside Visibility & Analytics now available in the app store Haven't you always wanted to keep an eye on all critical supply chain situations? Do you need round-the-clock access to your supplier KPIs to immediately identify supply risks? Or are you expecting critical shipments and want to see where your urgently needed materials are and whether they will arrive on time? (more…)
SCM Insights No more out of supply: how capacity management builds resiliency into supply chains "High demand, low supply": what a nightmare for supply chain managers. And this doesn't just happen in boom times. In economically uncertain phases, too, supply bottlenecks are more than painful for businesses. This can currently be witnessed for the microchip shortage the automotive industry (among others) is battling with.Thus, it is all the more important to safeguard production by having a sophisticated capacity management system for critical components in place. But what does this mean in practice? What is the difference to conventional demand collaboration with suppliers? And which aspects do manufacturers need to consider? (more…)
SCM Insights Pizza Trackers and Control Towers Does anyone else remember in 2008 when Domino’s came out with the Pizza Tracker? You could order a pizza and watch as is it moved from order, to being cooked, to being put in a box and ultimately delivered. It was fun and informative for the customer to follow the pizza’s journey to your doorstep. This was mainly done on a desktop computer since Smartphone apps were in their infancy. What does a Pizza Tracker have in common with a Control Tower? (more…)
SCM Insights How to ensure a supply chain’s mid- and long-term resilience—including practical examples In the last two posts of my blog series, I focused on taking the first steps in dealing with an acute crisis. So far, I have emphasized the importance of integrating supply chain management and risk management, as well as taking ad-hoc measures to counter the impacts of Covid-19. Now, the next step is to take medium and long-term measures to make supply chains resilient in the long run. (more…)
SCM Insights How to successfully steer your supply chain through a crisis: Quick response measures Recently, in the first part of my blog article series "Supply Chain Risk Management - far more than just a way out of the current crisis", I highlighted the importance of linking the two disciplines of Risk Management and Supply Chain Management when managing crises. There is another important aspect to not just surviving times of crisis, but to come out of these strengthened. And that is the time factor.For this reason, the second part of this blog article series is dedicated to the following questions: Where do I start? What ad-hoc measures can I implement to mitigate impact? What can I quickly do to protect my supply chain? (more…)
SCM Insights How to better cope with demand volatility The coronavirus crisis has revealed a long-standing challenge for suppliers even more clearly: How reliable are the demand forecasts they receive from their customers? High volatility and uncertainties in demand forecasting are not limited to pandemic times. Even in the "normal state", the originally reported requirements can differ considerably from the materials actually called off. The decisive question is therefore: How can you improve forecasting and thus also achieve a higher level of planning accuracy? (more…)
SCM Insights It’s high time to tap the potential of the 4th Industrial Revolution COVID-19, its effects on the industry and the restart of production currently dominate on the agenda. Everyone is longing for a return to normality and this will be the case in a few months' time. The world will not stand still and it is certainly not standing still at this very moment. (more…)
SCM Insights Visibility, Analytics & Intelligence: Get full transparency on your supply chain, not just in times of crisis! Planning, purchasing, logistics and transport management are traditionally separate processes, typically located in different departments. The material planners determine how many parts production requires and order these from the supplier, considering safety stocks. The suppliers operate in their own systems, as does the transport service provider. What, when, in what quantity and at what time is to be delivered usually remains unclear until goods receipt. (more…)
