The digital journey takes companies, and their supply chains, through sequential stages. Each stage contains the competencies and technologies necessary to build a platform for continued digital evolution. The change is often incremental. Yet a business gains proficiency with each stage, its supply chains become better-equipped to meet the demands of a complex, networked, global business environment. While some steps may appear
small, each step contributes to creating truly transformative opportunities throughout an agile supply chain. And the best first step to optimization is taking a deep look at every aspect of your business’ supply chain. Doing this helps set a business up for successful predictive processes—as well as happier business partners and customers.
- Stage 1: Intracompany collaboration
The first step in supply chain transformation is assessing and aligning systems and processes in the enterprise, particularly the departments responsible for supply planning, supplier relations, and warehouse management.
- Stage 2: A networked supply chain
Improve collaboration with suppliers and trading partners. Focus on tools that help internal teams succeed with partners across the supply chain cycle in the planning to delivery stage. - Stage 3: Full customer demand, integration
When customer demand triggers signals in a supply chain, enhanced analytics and business intelligence (BI) turn insights into action by automating systems, and connecting planning and operations software to the network. - Stage 4: Becoming predictive
Go beyond responding to demand to predicting it. A predictive supply chains leans on the digital signals produced by the network to determine when exceptions or opportunities will arise and acts accordingly.
