There’s a good post here at Supply Excellence entitled “How clear is your visibility program?“   I found myself nodding my head in agreement as I read through it. Justin makes a lot of points that, if you are a regular reader here, you know I too am a big proponent of as well.  In particular he says:  “In times of uncertainty and rapid change, whether in sales, operations or spend management, fortune favors those who are positioned to confidently take decisive action and efficiently execute decisions.”   He goes on to talk about how data is the currency in this regard, but aptly points out that “Even if you have the data, isn’t it what you do with it that makes all the difference?”  Success is about getting the right information, to the right people at the right time.

Justin writes about this in the context of spend management, but this rings true for all areas and functions of the supply chain, and in fact I would argue that individual programs or solutions for specific silos of the organization makes little sense.  These capabilities (supply chain visibility, data analysis and reporting, decision support) are integral not only to spend management but also to the broader functions of demand management, supply management, supply chain risk management, sales and operations planning (S&OP), etc.   

An integrated system that can provide a holistic view and balance decisions based on multiple dimensions is critical to success in today’s marketplace.  To optimize a decision based on the specific objectives of one area of the business, may negatively affect others to the detriment of corporate-wide KPIs.  So while I whole-heartedly agree with the notion of unlocking data and leveraging analysis for strategic decision making, I believe companies need to take a broader and more integrated view of how to empower their organization with these necessary capabilities.

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Tags: Supply chain visibility
Posted in Supply chain management, Supply chain risk management
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