SCM Insights How to enhance collaboration between procurement and quality management Digital transformation or not: Working together is often difficult even when system-supported processes are in place. This occurs not just on a large scale, e.g. in the collaboration between companies and their suppliers. It also happens on a small scale, e.g. between different departments. Here companies face challenges such as media discontinuity, a lack of transparency, and processes that are interdependent. (more…)
SCM Insights · Technology Operational analytics: What does this new trend offer? Up to now, analytics has been used primarily in customer and sales analysis. But its range is expanding: Companies are now increasingly applying analytics to operative processes as well.Why? (more…)
Industry News · SCM Insights · Technology The Internet of Things is becoming intelligent and collaborative Artificial intelligence is the topic of the hour. This was not any different at Bosch Connected World. Nearly 3,000 IoT enthusiasts talked about business models and innovations relating to the Internet of Things in Berlin on March 15 and 16, 2017. The top three topics were artificial intelligence, automation and openness. (more…)
SCM Insights Three steps to digital service procurement At many companies, the procurement of services – either on the basis of an e-catalog or via a free-text order – is still characterized by many inconsistencies. Internal ERP systems often support demand analysis and the approval process by the manager who oversees the budget in the SRM system. But there is often a discrepancy between the content of the order request from what should actually be ordered. In practice, the offer is often sent to the requisitioner by the service provider in an e-mail message or as a paper document – and then not included in the order request. Why does this happen? Because adding all the individual items from the offer to the order request involves a lot of work for the requisitioner. And he tries to avoid this effort. (more…)
SCM Insights Go or no-go? The business case provides the answer Every supply chain project begins with a close check of its economic efficiency. After all, investments in a new solution should not only pay off, but also lead to noticeable cost reductions over the medium and long term. And it is this savings potential that must be determined in advance - precisely, comprehensibly, and with a solid foundation - because without a specific business case, top management will not provide the necessary budget approval. But what exactly are the decisive factors to calculate the success of a SCM solution? (more…)
SCM Insights · Technology Visibility & Analytics – Full transparency in the supply chain Many companies are determined to improve their use of information from individual internal and external IT systems as a way of meeting the challenges of a digital supply chain.Traditionally, planning, procurement, logistics and transport management have been separate processes. Whereas material planners determine how many parts are needed for production during the manufacturing process and order them while keeping an eye on safety stocks, suppliers use their own systems as do the transport service providers. What is delivered when and in which quantity can usually not be determined until the goods receipt. (more…)
SCM Insights · Technology Looking into the future: Predictive analytics in supply chain management As a branch of business analytics, predictive analytics is focused on making projections about relevant events in the future. Although not known by this particular term, the discipline itself has long been used to manage supply chains.The VMI process is a good example of a long-standing predictive analytics approach. When regulating supply using VMI, the customer defines inventory thresholds that suppliers are not allowed to exceed or fall short of over the course of their deliveries. (more…)
SCM Insights Digitalization of the aerospace supply chain – the dream and the reality 70 percent of respondents in a new study on the digitalization of the aerospace supply chain say they are convinced that digitalization can be advanced only if all parties use the same system. But the reality proves to be different. More than 80 percent of the respondents confirm having to use multiple portals to communicate with customers – and this, even though approximately 90 percent of the respondents were convinced that the multitude of different portals undermined the positive effects of digitalization.The continued digitalization of the supply chain across all levels – as the study also clearly found – is viewed as being one of the most important measures for mastering the future challenges in the aerospace industry. (more…)
SCM Insights · Technology Easy transfer of inspection certificates with the Advance Shipping Notification (ASN) We are frequently approached by customers seeking a solution for transferring quality and production data generated by a supplier as part of the manufacturing and quality assurance processes. As an attachment to SupplyOn's electronic delivery note, the so-called ASN (Advance Shipping Notification) is exactly what they are looking for. Following the transfer, structured electronic certificate data can be seamlessly processed, analyzed and saved. (more…)
SCM Insights · Use Cases Successful supplier rollout in China: Strategic onboarding in the Middle Kingdom January 1, 3:55 a.m. Just back from a New Year's Eve party and full of excitement, I take a look at the Seeburger EDI monitor and press the refresh button again. Then once more. Then again and again. But nothing happens.4:09 a.m. Still nothing. I'm starting to get a little nervous. My customer in Shanghai wanted to go live at 10 a.m. local time. That was nine minutes ago, which seems like an eternity to me.4:13 a.m. Nervously, I press the refresh button on the EDI monitor every 20 seconds. Finally! A delivery instruction and three call-offs. Status: "SUCCESS!" I quickly log into SupplyOn to check if posting is correct and find everything is just as planned. Relieved, I pick up the phone to call my Chinese colleague and tell him about the successful posting. "Liang, the initial messages were booked successfully. Let's go!" (more…)
