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…)
Industry News · SCM Insights · Use Cases Success factor Supply Chain Visibility: Gartner presents SupplyOn project as best practice Supply Chain Visibility (SCV) is one of the most important success factors when it comes to managing complex supply chains successfully. And it is an initiative at the top of every CSCO´s agenda. Therefore, Gartner has focused a recently published report "Lessons Learned from Supply Chain Visibility Initiatives – Supply Chain Logistics and Transportation" on this subject by presenting four best practice examples, one of these being a transport management project realized through SupplyOn. (more…)
SCM Insights Freight cost invoicing begins with the transport order Perhaps you’ve encountered the following situation:You’ve negotiated the best conditions with your carriers, but you’re still paying too much for your transport services. And might we presume that you are not able to fully verify the freight cost invoices that you perhaps still receive in paper form from your carriers?Why not approach the situation from a different angle: (more…)
SCM Insights · Technology True Software as a Service (SaaS) vs. ASP: What are the differences and why does true SaaS provide benefits in an SCM environment? Over the past few years many companies have shown a growing interest in applying the software-as-a-service concept to a wide range of processes. This can be attributed to the many benefits provided by SaaS compared with conventional software licensing models. (more…)
SCM Insights Do you also manage complex aerospace supply chain networks? To successfully manage aerospace supply chain networks, it is essential to tackle special challenges. Efficient processes in complex, international networks require thinking that spans departmental and even corporate boundaries in customer/supplier relationships.This begins with the organization of networks and extends to the planning and execution of processes on through to controlling.Expectations are high when it comes to the digitalization of the supply chain: (more…)
SCM Insights Secure supply despite reduced capital lockup – how is this possible? (Part 2) The digitalization of the supply chain paves the way for well-synchronized material flowsWhat can be done to create greater transparency and reduce the stock and inventory levels by better synchronizing the material flows?Now, to put it simply, one has to figure out how to eliminate the causes of the lack of transparency and synchronicity of material flows. In this regard, the entire process of supply chain planning and management must be examined. (more…)
SCM Insights Secure supply despite reduced capital lockup – how is this possible? (Part 1) The question above is probably much older than the term "supply chain management", which first appeared at the beginning of the '80s, became more pervasive in the '90s and an established management term by the turn of the century.There is no need to speculate about the point at which this issue began to be addressed by academics. All we can say is that the issue has become particularly important over the past 15 years given increasing globalization, intensified global competition and a decreasing value creation chain. (more…)
SCM Insights e-invoicing begins with the order Today, everybody is talking about Industry 4.0 and the digitalization of the supply chain – and yet the majority of invoices are still being sent in paper form or in unstructured formats that cannot easily be computerized.Many companies wishing to implement an e-invoicing solution focus solely on the invoicing process instead of considering the process as a whole, from order to payment. (more…)
SCM Insights Attractive side-effect of using SupplyOn: Optimized internal cooperation SupplyOn aims to optimize the various processes with suppliers in the supply chain – in other words, cross-company collaboration. But following its successful introduction, more and more companies discover that SupplyOn also has a very positive effect on processes between internal departments – thus improving not only cross-company but also internal collaboration. Hence a more than desirable side-effect. (more…)
SCM Insights Industry 4.0 – use the potential for success today! There’s no doubt about it: Industry 4.0 – frequently also referred to as the Internet of Things – will become the dominant issue of the next few years. But the subject is full of pitfalls. On the one hand, it is obvious that players must act quickly in order not to be left behind and lose market shares. On the other hand, it is not clear exactly what has to be done. Industry, research and politics are still struggling to find a definition of the subject and the necessary standards. Many companies also fear that implementing Industry 4.0 concepts will require extremely high investments.Some very pragmatic and low-cost approaches already exist, such as those established in the automotive industry, which already link many thousands of companies to each other. This can be the first step for companies in their approaching this subject and in quickly achieving initial successes in terms of increasing efficiency and cost savings. (more…)
