As our customers grapple with the fast changing market, we see some common themes. There is renewed interest in digital, this time around today’s needs – automation in procurement / supplier management processes and end-to-end supply visibility and planning.
Managers want real digital in supply chains
The need for automation in procurement and supplier management processes reflects the need for fast and ongoing changes in items, sourcing and procurement for restaurants and then managing the dynamics of supply. A recent article in Food Engineering, that examines the challenges and possible solutions to market disruption, states, ”Embracing digital transformation will not only alleviate current and future supply chain issues, it will also set businesses up to thrive.” With a combination of smart contracts, automated processes for reporting, pricing and true-ups, customers want to stay on top of the market dynamics without having to stretch already stretched resources in their organization. Digital solutions that can capture the specifics of category specific business practices and automate the management processes can be used to solve the resource problem while improving speed and frequency of updates to these processes.
We have also recently seen a renewed focus on proactive monitoring of the supply lanes . This time however, forward looking demand trends are volatile and supply disruptions can be anywhere upstream and downstream. This means supply chains need to look beyond the DC – into upstream and downstream supply chains. A forward looking supply visibility and planning with distribution, transportation, processing and raw material partners is the only way to get back in the driver seat. The right digital capabilities that power supply chain planning is not only a self paying investment, it can be a strategic advantage in the foreseeable market environment.