(Content created for a Canadian logistics management firm)
Discover how an integrated suite of supply planning software applications can streamline your business’s flow of raw materials and engender efficient transport of finished goods to your customers
Understanding what is happening in your business’s supply chain is a key part of ensuring your flow of raw materials is maintained. Supply chain planning software is a set of digital tools that can help you to maintain your supply chains and to determine where pinch-points can occur.
But what is supply planning software? And how can it manage your day-to-day business operations? Let’s take a quick look at the basics of digital supply chain management.
Supply Planning Software Will Revolutionise Your S&OP!
Supply chain management is the integrated and coordinated process that manages and oversees the flow of goods, data and finances as a product moves from its point of origin as a set of raw materials to the point where it is consumed by your customers.
The old ways no longer fit the modern world
For decades, companies have relied upon a variety of traditional supply chain point solutions to manage their Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) processes. These have usually included:
Logistics
Product development
Procurement
Manufacturing
Order management
However, as markets have become more fragmented and complex, and digital systems have supplanted traditional paper-based systems, it has become increasingly costly and increasingly efficient to maintain these traditional systems.
Fast is the new slow
As Ferris Bueller said, “life moves pretty fast.” And it’s that same in the world of S&OP: you have to be able to move fast and adapt to supply chain constraints very rapidly in order to not only stay competitive but to ensure your customers are kept satisfied.
Real-time Visibility is a Vital Part of Your Supply Chain Planning.
Traditional supply chain management systems struggle to keep up with real-time visibility. In order to maintain an effective supply chain, you need to be able to see what is going on across your entire supply chain, from the source of the smallest component or chunk of raw material to the finished product being held proudly in the hands of a happy and satisfied customer.
It’s a brave new world out there
The advent of digital payment methods, machine learning and AI, along with customer demand for traceability, means that your supply chain planning needs to not only be fast and efficient; it also needs to be able to cope with these rapidly-advancing technologies.
And that is where supply chain planning software enters the picture. These digital tools can be assembled into a suite of tools compatible with any sized company producing any type of goods or services. It enables businesses to manage their supply chains with the scale, security, innovation and agility that modern markets require.
Transform Your S&OP With Supply Chain Planning Software.
Your supply chain operations can be significantly improved by adopting supply chain planning software. By using these tools to manage your budgeting, inventory control, demand forecasting and logistics, your business can easily adapt to the rapid changes that are now common factors in supply chain management.
