Working on the ‘Modern’ Supply Chain - MultiTaction · PDF fileWorking on the ‘Modern’ Supply Chain The ability to engage with data and extract value through ... this challenge

Working on the lsquoModernrsquo Supply ChainThe ability to engage with data and extract value through visualization and interaction will become increasingly important as supply chain management integrates innovative digital strategies with traditional business practice

Supply chain management is traditionally about operational excellence eliminating risk and continuous improvement These traditional values still apply but business is increasingly looking to supply chain management to add further levels of expertise around strategic thinking change leadership and sophisticated finance and communications skills

One way in which supply chain managers are looking to meet this challenge is by taking what analyst Gartner calls the bimodal approach ndash a marriage of innovative digital strategies with traditional business practices David Willis Chief of Research at Gartner argues that supply chain professionals need to be open to new ways of doing things if they are to succeed

lsquoIt is crucial to be open to leveraging the wisdom of crowds and looking outside the company - and even outside the industry - for new ideas and to bring those lessons back in practical ways Learning how to explore through new means will drive bimodal adoptionrsquo

But where are we looking to make a difference In an article entitled Optimizing Data for Supply Chain World - Summer 2016 Rod Johnson global senior vice president with Oracle suggests that the biggest value you can offer anyone running a supply chain is full integration and visibility This is because the greatest challenge in the supply chain is integrating information and having visibility across the entire enterprise

He identifies the game changers as increased business intelligence insights and the ability to make better decisions that satisfy the customerrsquos need or take cost out of the supply chain

Data and IntelligenceBetter business intelligence and decision-making depends on data Each year Tableau Software a leader in interactive data visualization products focused on business intelligence produces a report on major trends in the big data and business intelligence fields It is informative to review the predictions for 2017 because they underline major trends that may also impact the supply chain

Reading the Tableau Top 10 Big Data Trends 2017 the key message coming through is a real hunger to capture and analyze data in all of its many forms In 2nd place is the assertion that customers will demand data analytics on all platforms platforms that are data and source agnostic will thrive In 5th place variety (not volume or velocity) will drive big data investments and in 7th place the convergence of the Internet of Things cloud and big data will create new opportunities for self-service

Take these themes over in to the field of business intelligence and you begin to fully appreciate the business impact The Tableau Top 10 Business Intelligence Trends 2017 puts the concept of lsquoModern BIrsquo in the spotlight Modern BI according to Gartnerrsquos 2016 BI Magic Quadrant is where the power to perform analytics migrates from the hands of the few to the hands of the many and collaborative analytics crosses over from the fringe to the core

lsquoGone are the days of sharing data via static PDFs or PowerPoint decks People will share live interactive workbooks and data sources to drive business decisions and theyrsquoll embed dashboards within other enterprise applications to reach people where they arersquo

In this modern world all data becomes equal the IT department goes from being a data producer to being a data enabler and importantly people start to work with data in more natural ways

Specifications subject to change without notice MultiTactionreg MultiTaction iWallreg and MultiTaction Canvusreg are registered trademarks of MultitTaction Ltd

copy Copyright MultiTaction Ltd

lsquoModernrsquo Supply ChainAn article in Forbes - Tell Me Something I Donrsquot Know Five Supply Chain Predictions For 2017 by industry commentator Paul Martin provides a useful snapshot of key things to watch out for Top of the list are bimodal strategies that integrate disruptive technologies into current practices Then comes co-creation where connectivity digitization customer centricity and collaboration means that the supply chain becomes a more significant part of the product development process

Three more developments reinforce the view that the modern supply chain will become more dynamic and strategic the ability to sense and respond to new information quickly will be a key differentiator for supply chains company leadership will come to believe that the supply chain is a key business differentiator when it comes to productivity innovation environment customer service and value creation and finally change management and security coupled with supplier collaboration is a risk necessity moving forward

The evolution of supply chain management into a new paradigm more akin to a digital network creates a number of very specific challenges

bull Bimodal means you have to be able to manage structured and unstructured data

bull Co-creation requires people and technology to interface seamlessly

bull Managing change you need to have the big real-time picture at your finger tips

bull Communicating with the leadership team requires advanced visualization and viewing technology

bull Security comes from visibility and interaction with all of your partners



Working on the lsquoModernrsquo Supply Chain

Making ConnectionsIn the traditional model we can imagine a meeting with the supply chain team following a fairly traditional arc rooms are booked and remote users join via teleconference briefing papers are distributed and laptops plugged in a screen of indeterminate size carries a static PowerPoint presentation The emphasis of the meeting is more monologue than dialogue It tends to focus on command and control and it may be more about rubber stamping decisions than innovating for the future

Looking to the future forward looking companies are creating new workplaces that are global smart and collaborative Meeting spaces enable visualization and interaction that is dynamic mobile and social Enabling this is interactive touch screen technology that supports BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) and makes it possible to seamlessly bridge the divide between physical and digital assets Users can share dynamic data from multiple data sources and establish a dialogue that supports creative action-taking

One company that has taken this route is the lsquosketch to scalersquo global electronics manufacturer Flex Some 200000 professionals in 30 countries provide design engineering manufacturing and real-time supply chain insight and logistics to companies of all sizes One of its most recent projects was working with Nike on a revolutionary partnership that in 18 months generated 200 inventions on the factory floor and recorded lsquofastest new factory ramp - 150 days from start to first shiprsquo

Flex the Supply Chain

For Flex the challenge is managing a highly complex globally distributed supply chain To do this the company uses a real-time mobile collaboration tool for connected intelligence and a 22-screen curved iWall located in Flex Pulse Center monitors all aspects of the Companyrsquos global supply chain while aggregating and parsing global events that might impact supply chain efficiency

A unique feature of the iWall is the curvature which provides a more immersive experience and means that viewers can see both ends of the wall - and the supply chain - without moving The comprehensive customer supply chain view integrates various areas from customer demand to delivery Live video feeds of global production facilities and integrated videoconferencing capabilities establish direct links with Flex sites around the world to address issues in real time

A unique feature of this solution is that the software integrated into the intelligent surface allows all web-based applications to run natively on the system There is no need to change the back-end to engage with different data sources And the work on the screen can be broadcast to other sites around the world enabling more effective collaboration across borders and time zones But even more important is the way in which this technology enables interaction between people and technology the traditional and the digital

Discussing the advantages of the system the team at Flex cite how easy it is to work with the screens and the enormous benefits when it comes to collaborating with a room full of people The technology also plays an enormous part in enabling work with big and varied data files On the iWall you can open all of these in one piece of real estate and look from left to right and from top to bottom to connect the dots

Summary

Supply chain management is evolving along bimodal lines and business leaders are increasingly looking to supply chain leaders to deliver business competitiveness and differentiation alongside operational excellence The ability to engage with data and extract value will become increasingly important as will the technology to visualize big data socialize ideas educate clients and work collaboratively

MultiTaction is a leading developer of visual collaboration software The companyrsquos solutions are in use by some of the largest corporates in the world In addition the company also manufactures a completely unique touch platform that can be seen in some of the most advanced interactive environments globally MultiTaction has solutions deployed in over 50 countries worldwide supported by offices across the United States Asia and Europe wwwmultitactioncom



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lsquoModernrsquo Supply ChainAn article in Forbes - Tell Me Something I Donrsquot Know Five Supply Chain Predictions For 2017 by industry commentator Paul Martin provides a useful snapshot of key things to watch out for Top of the list are bimodal strategies that integrate disruptive technologies into current practices Then comes co-creation where connectivity digitization customer centricity and collaboration means that the supply chain becomes a more significant part of the product development process

Three more developments reinforce the view that the modern supply chain will become more dynamic and strategic the ability to sense and respond to new information quickly will be a key differentiator for supply chains company leadership will come to believe that the supply chain is a key business differentiator when it comes to productivity innovation environment customer service and value creation and finally change management and security coupled with supplier collaboration is a risk necessity moving forward

The evolution of supply chain management into a new paradigm more akin to a digital network creates a number of very specific challenges

bull Bimodal means you have to be able to manage structured and unstructured data

bull Co-creation requires people and technology to interface seamlessly

bull Managing change you need to have the big real-time picture at your finger tips

bull Communicating with the leadership team requires advanced visualization and viewing technology

bull Security comes from visibility and interaction with all of your partners




Making ConnectionsIn the traditional model we can imagine a meeting with the supply chain team following a fairly traditional arc rooms are booked and remote users join via teleconference briefing papers are distributed and laptops plugged in a screen of indeterminate size carries a static PowerPoint presentation The emphasis of the meeting is more monologue than dialogue It tends to focus on command and control and it may be more about rubber stamping decisions than innovating for the future

Looking to the future forward looking companies are creating new workplaces that are global smart and collaborative Meeting spaces enable visualization and interaction that is dynamic mobile and social Enabling this is interactive touch screen technology that supports BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) and makes it possible to seamlessly bridge the divide between physical and digital assets Users can share dynamic data from multiple data sources and establish a dialogue that supports creative action-taking

One company that has taken this route is the lsquosketch to scalersquo global electronics manufacturer Flex Some 200000 professionals in 30 countries provide design engineering manufacturing and real-time supply chain insight and logistics to companies of all sizes One of its most recent projects was working with Nike on a revolutionary partnership that in 18 months generated 200 inventions on the factory floor and recorded lsquofastest new factory ramp - 150 days from start to first shiprsquo






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Summary







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Working on the ‘Modern’ Supply Chain - MultiTaction · PDF fileWorking on the ‘Modern’ Supply Chain The ability to engage with data and extract value through ... this challenge