We just wrapped up Disruption RX, a virtual supply chain summit designed to help companies rebound from unplanned shocks to their digital supply chain. Logility, Demand Solutions, and NGC customers, industry experts and thought leaders gathered to discuss how businesses can run smarter and faster with innovative technology that drives growth and boosts profitability. Attendees learned strategies that help make smart, data-driven decisions faster to transform organizations into truly resilient enterprises.
As I prepared my opening remarks for this year’s summit, I reflected on all that’s happened since our last customer conference, including the wild ride known as 2020. At that conference we talked about the need for speed and agility in an always-on world. Indeed, the breathtaking pace of global commerce today requires that businesses adopt agile operating methods, replacing high-level design with frequent redesign — similar to continuous planning, a theme discussed throughout Disruption RX.
Agility and the “need for speed” are still relevant topics, however being fast and nimble are no longer enough because you run the risk of being fast but fragile. 2020 has taught us that.
What’s needed now is a focus on building the resilient enterprise. That’s the primary theme of Disruption RX. Without downplaying the impact of COVID-19 in any way, it’s my belief that we are experiencing the new reality. The pace of change has accelerated, and the frequency and magnitude of disruptions — be they natural, man-made or the result of market forces — has increased. Look at it this way: a global economy requires global supply chains, and that means more touchpoints, more opportunities for disruption, and more intricate cause-and-effect scenarios. As our data scientists are fond of saying, “It’s just math.”
Unlike others promoting the need for resilience, Logility, Demand Solutions and NGC have a unique position in the market as both observers and enablers — so we’re sharing our recommendations for taking back control by creating a resilient enterprise.
Where to start? For planners, everything boils down to the need to know why (the causal) and the need to know the future (the predictive). Hence the drive to move from orchestrated forecasting exercises to continuous planning, or “viewing the supply chain while it’s happening.” Doing this means understanding the big picture and the fine details.
So, let’s step back and highlight some of the forces defining today’s supply chains. Today we operate in a world of ever-increasing complexity. The amount of data is doubling every 18 months. Furthermore, the pressure of the “informed” customer accelerates and adds complexity to supply chains. Meanwhile, we are experiencing a shortage of skilled supply chain talent. The planners of today think differently, want to engage differently, and expect a new role and new experiences inside your organization every few years. Finally, new product introductions are accelerating, and you are facing time-to-market compression.
The prescription? You must gain insights in real time by digesting all that data to construct a
digital twin of your physical supply chain. This enables accurate and timely decision-making. The outcome: you will operate an agile, resilient supply chain that allows you to simulate disruptions, evaluate options and contingencies in real time to quickly take action.
Over the last year we’ve learned a lot about building and fortifying resilient supply chains. Disruption RX offered an opportunity to share our findings based on work with a thousand clients on co-innovation. Some of you are ready for the next level of supply chain sophistication. Others are stuck. In either case, we’re here to help you transform your operations in response to new global realities.
It’s time to take back control — digital brick by digital brick — to build a resilient supply chain that’s ready to withstand new challenges and capitalize on new opportunities. And we’re here to help.
To learn more contact us today!
Written by
A Logility Supply Chain Expert
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