5 features to support your supply chain control tower

As supply chains grow more complex, centralization becomes more critical. Businesses need a connected, cross-functional supply chain view. Supply chain control towers, or command centers, aren't a new concept. But what is new is how these hubs should serve businesses. To reduce risk and plan ahead, supply chain control towers must be backed by modern features. 

01 Real-time visibility

The unfortunate truth is many enterprises lack basic visibility into their supply chain. This fog negatively impacts customer service, increases inventory costs, and raises overall operational expenses. A supply chain control tower should give users complete visibility through a single pane of glass. They’ll have real-time insights into every step of the order process, from order placement to fulfillment.

02 A composable landscape

Many businesses use multiple systems that feed into or out of their supply chain operations. The view from a supply chain control tower should account for that. Enterprises need the agility and flexibility to visualize data across their value stream and business partners. That way, they can see how scheduled maintenance on an asset will affect production plans, for instance.

03 Comprehensive event data

Data can be a powerful tool for helping businesses troubleshoot issues. Let’s use the example of a purchase order fed into an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. While the middleware does its job, the ERP system does not. Your supply chain control tower should collect data around every event so you have an end-to-end view of what’s going on. From there, you can proactively react to disruptions.

04 Automation capabilities

People are reimagining the business process. They’re thinking about what they can automate in their day to improve operational efficiency — and that applies to supply chain operations. An integrated supply chain control tower naturally supports this initiative. With a single data source, users can access supply chain insights faster, with improved data accuracy.

05 Predictive analytics

Speaking of insights, AI has transformed supply chain systems into systems of reasoning. With visibility through a supply chain tower, users should be able to access decision support. Functioning as “co-pilots,” predictive analytics help users better understand their customers and where their business is headed. This enables forecasting for supply and demand, alongside inventory control. Supply chain complexities are a constant concern today. The good news is that with a modern supply chain control tower, you can stay in command. While you can solve immediate problems faster, you’ll optimize for the future.

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