To minimize supply chain disruptions, we need to be able to quickly react to whatever happens out of the plan. Disruptions occur with unplanned situations, something very frequent along the supply chain.
The delays in raw material, the variations in the demand and the lack of labor are some of the most usual problems to face.
Are these situations predictable? No, they are not, they are uncertain, what we can do is lower the impact they may have.
To lower the impact, we must have the ability to see the supply chain process as a complex system in which we understand that we just can´t react on one step, that everything is connected to everything else.
It is natural to have inventory to avoid stock-out, but which is our optimal inventory level, the one that reduces risk and at the same time does not increase warehouse costs and reduces working capital?
So, in an efficient managed supply chain, you will need a tool that helps you determine the optimal levels for each of your production steps, and at the same time were you can easily re-run weekly, to adapt your plan to the unplanned situations.
To have the ability of running your plan with different scenarios in minutes, and visualizing the generated data in pre-defined dashboards, is the best way to react to supply chain disruptions. In that way you do have the most recent information on hand to twist your plans accordingly.
Choosing a Cloud planning tool, you will have the the information you need at the tips of your fingers, to you quickly react, as Data, Demand Planning and Production Planning features will be completely integrated in the same place.
In this way it is possible to avoid spending months in expensive, non-flexible, no LOB governance, supply chain management software implementations.
The user subscribes to a cloud service that covers all in one package. The tech platform, the solution, and the on-going improvement support, all with short time to value, and with a low-cost entry level.
Your return on investment will be much higher, as in less than three months you will profit from reducing stock and avoiding stock outs. In that way you will be more efficient when planning and only paying for features that you need.
With this combination of process and tech in a cloud service you will improve your ability to react to disruptions and have the whole picture to plan in advance.