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I laugh when business leaders tell me that they are going to replace their current supply chain planning technologies with “AI.” Each supply chain planning technology at the end of 2024, went through disruption–change in CEO, business model shift, layoffs, re-platforming and acquisitions. You are right.
From sourcing and bid evaluation to warehouse slotting and dynamic routing, AI tools support faster and more consistent outcomes by processing large volumes of operational data and identifying patterns that human decision-makers may overlook. These capabilities are now being integrated into mainstream TMS, WMS, and ERP platforms.
In the fast-paced world of modern supply chains, traditional forecasting methods fall short. Advanced supply chain planning is being transformed by probabilistic forecasting , which revolutionizes demand forecasting, supply planning, and inventory optimization.
Solvoyo has a metric they call the user acceptance rate. This metric measures the percentage of time the planners accept replenishment, transportation, or inventory plans as they are without any change in the timing of the delivery or the quantity to be delivered. We are a platform. Forecasting is not an actionable item.”
In the fast-paced world of modern supply chains, traditional forecasting methods fall short. Probabilistic forecasting is revolutionizing demand forecasting, supply planning, and inventory optimization by significantly improving forecast accuracy and decision-making across distribution networks.
While SAP has had procurementanalytics solutions, last year at Spend Connect Live, SAP announced the Spend Control Tower. Daniel Chapman, the senior director of process transformation for procure to pay at Warner Music, was a keynote speaker. It is a brilliant tool.” The Warner Music Group was an early adopter.
Enterprise procurement leaders are under more pressure than ever—juggling cost control, compliance, supplier risk, and internal complexity, all while trying to modernize outdated systems. AI, automation, and generative tools are redefining efficiency, allowing procurement teams to move from reactive to proactive decision-making.
Many large organizations have multiple systems for order, warehouse, or transportation management that are barely integrated frequently not at all. These steps include sourcing and receiving inventory, storing inventory, order processing, picking and packing an order, shipping the order, and returns management.
Procurement and supply chain management are often used interchangeably—but in practice, the lines between them can blur in ways that create real friction. Misaligned priorities, siloed systems, and unclear ownership can directly impact key performance indicators like cost savings percentage and procurement cycle time.
Renewable Energy for Facilities: Warehouses and distribution centers can integrate solar panels and wind turbines to lower energy costs and carbon footprints. Retrofitting existing infrastructure with energy-efficient technologies further enhances sustainability efforts. Advanced route optimization tools further support these goals.
This year’s conference brought together industry leaders, tech pioneers, and retail professionals to address challenges and opportunities, to explore technologies and strategies that promise to revolutionize the industry. Here are the key insights we gathered firsthand at this year’s event.
In follow-up qualitative interviews, one of the largest issues with organizational alignment was metric definition and a clear definition of supply chain excellence. In my post Mea Culpa, I reference my work with the Gartner Supply Chain Hierarchy of Metrics. Error is error, but is it the most important metric? My answer is no.
If you’re evaluating procurementtechnology or exploring ways to drive more value from existing systems, chances are you’re looking beyond tactical fixes – you want a smarter, scalable strategy. But when spend is scattered across systems, business units, and suppliers, finding those insights is easier said than done.
Analytics and business intelligence (BI) are no longer optionaltheyre essential. Thats why modern BI systems are quickly becoming the go-to solution for data-driven enterprises. They integrate, align, and activate data across the business to drive better, faster decisions unlike legacy reportingtools that can’t.
Picture this: You’re a warehouse manager, and with a few taps on your smartphone, you instantly know the exact location and quantity of every item in your inventory. That’s not science fiction—it’s the power of mobile inventory management. Ready to turn your inventory from a headache into a strategic asset?
For most CPOs and CFOs, deciding on the right purchasing setup — centralized or decentralized — is no small task. Each model has its perks, and choosing the best fit can feel like walking a tightrope. Keep reading to learn: What is centralized purchasing? What is centralized purchasing?
Traditionally, procurement has been a process weighed down by manual tasks, fragmented systems, and endless paperwork. Today, procurement is undergoing a transformation. While procurement teams have long worked to add strategic value, Artificial Intelligence (AI) amplifies their impact.
Supply chain efficiency is the cornerstone of success and involves the effective management of processes, resources, and technologies from procurement to production, transportation to warehousing. In the automotive sector, manufacturers are simultaneously reducing inventorycosts and delivery times.
The latest study highlights opportunities for businesses to strengthen resilience with artificial intelligence (AI)-driven demand sensing to optimize inventory, realize more value from planning investments, and better serve clients during disruptions of any size. Orlando, FL – October 2, 2024 – E2open Parent Holdings, Inc.
Technology can change or even improve work. In May 2025, one in seven home-purchase agreements fell through resulting in the cancellation of 56,000 purchase contracts. We still plan like it is 1999–when we were bracing for Y2k–versus using new forms of technology to improve planning. What’s missing?
In a previous post , I made a case for how the Chief Supply Chain Officer (CSCO) and Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) are smarter together. Accordingly Supply Chain and Procurement will need continuous collaboration. By aligning supply chain and procurement, spend can be considered more holistically.
We need planning platforms to keep up with all the changes. This means we need more agile, flexible, and scalable planning platforms to process and consolidate new data sources, drive insights using advanced analytics such as AI/ML to drive autonomous decisions, and expand collaboration within and outside our organizations.
It is crucial for organizations to understand the importance of Purchase Order collaboration to effectively manage their direct spend, optimize operations, and mitigate risks. From natural disasters to geopolitical tensions and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, supply chains have been significantly impacted.
To keep customers like my dad satisfied, RGD and Quick-commerce companies need to invest in new technologies to optimize the supply chain and logistics operations. These technologies are often invisible to the end-user but make a big difference in keeping the promises about product availability, freshness, and speed of delivery.
One of the industry’s biggest concerns is how to digitise and transform quickly, without starting from scratch and having to throw away your enormous investment in traditional systems. The good news is that you don’t have to—even if you have hundreds of legacy systems and ERP instances across your company.
Companies are stuck at the intersection of inventory turns and operating margin. In companies, there is no standard model for demand processes. New forms of analytics make new capabilities possible. Improving forecasting is not sufficient. It is about much more than conventional forecasting. Growth has slowed.
Supply shortages resulting in empty shelves or parking lots of WIP inventory represent a spectre causing supply chain leaders to reconsider supply chain inventory practices. Opinion of just-in-time (JIT) as a practice has taken a battering and inventory is rising. Is supply chain inventory the problem?
If you were tasked with procuring the best supply chain IT system, what would you look for? ERP, APS, SCM Systems Explained Organisations often use these systems together because each serves a distinct but complementary purpose. Think of it managing things like purchase orders, invoices, and inventory records.
It’s a holistic approach that blends strategic planning, streamlined processes, and the right technology to transform your warehouse into a well-oiled, profit-generating machine. An in-depth look at the tangible benefits, from cost reduction to increased customer satisfaction.
Supplier problems will cause a cascade of problems up and down the value stream, leading to supply order delays that cause inventory shortages, production disruptions, missed shipments and lost revenue. The study found that these leaders considered the largest gap to be between supply chain and procurement, citing it as a major issue.
In 2025, efficient spare parts inventory management is no longer a competitive advantage — it’s a business necessity. Yet for many organizations, spare parts inventory remains a critical blind spot. Obsolete stock, fragmented procurement workflows, and disconnected data only make the challenge harder.
Given your expertise, I’d love to hear what alternatives you recommend for better demand forecasting and real-time visibility beyond what’s commonly adopted today.” I know that your primary focus is procurement. The goal was to teach the impact of system dynamics in a non-linear system that we now call the supply chain.
The hype usually revolves around just one item and can easily be managed by a modern logistics system. This warehouse runs at a perfect optimum with fixed capital in the form of inventory balanced perfectly with sales and purchasing, and all the items perfectly distributed to the various storage areas of the warehouse.
When it comes to running a company, when things break down executives have traditionally said “we need to improve our forecasting!” Would better forecasting accuracy be a good thing? Unfortunately, most companies cannot, and will never be able to, consistently rely on highly accurate forecasts. Absolutely! This increases sales.
Leveling up your inventory life cycle can be crucial, but keeping all the fundamental factors jumping is essential to let the life cycle evolve. However, if the life cycle stock is healthy, inventory management is smooth. Inventory management revolves around the pivotal concept of the product life cycle. Click here!
End-to-end supply chain visibility, planning, and execution support software are critical in agile supply chain performance. CPG companies that utilize an autonomous supply chain technology see a reduction in their inventory and cost and an increase in revenue.
The concept of digital twins has emerged as a powerful foundational tool to drive improvements in warehouse productivity and efficiency. To define what exactly it is, a digital twin is a virtual replica of a physical asset, process, or system.
Demand forecasting plays a crucial role in business success, as it helps predict customer demand and plan inventory effectively. However, traditional forecasting methods often fall short in accuracy. With the advent of artificial intelligence, demand forecasting has undergone a significant transformation.”
With international commerce increasingly digitalized and customer requirements continuing to grow, the demands on supply chain professionals to create frictionless, responsive, and cost-effective operations have never been higher. This real-time visibility translates into faster issue resolution, enhanced forecasting, and vendor coordination.
With these at play, having agile planning systems which can consume large amounts of internal and external data and provide decision intelligence and decision automation are becoming essential capabilities retailers seek. They are more likely to shop for discounts and sales and may delay purchases of some items.
It is just not enough to do a software upgrade or slowly push continuous improvement projects. He did this first by implementing demand sensing from Terra Technology (now E2Open) eight years ago. Completed in 2012, the ERP project forced the company to standardize organizational design, roles, and metrics. Nick does this well.
Here’s your two-minute guide to understanding and selecting the right descriptive, predictive and prescriptive analytics for use across your supply chain. Companies that are attempting to optimize their S&OP efforts need capabilities to analyze historical data, and forecast what might happen in the future.
CAGR , the global supply chain management software market is expected to touch USD 50 billion by 2032. This one figure speaks volumes about how organizations worldwide want access to the best supply chain management tools to boost efficiency and value in their distribution and logistics network. Growing at an overwhelming rate of 11.1%
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