Note: Today’s post is part of our “Editor’s Choice” series where we highlight recent posts published by our sponsors that provide supply chain insights and advice. Today’s article is from Kinaxis.
Outdated software isn’t just a headache to manage. It’s a business blocker. In a moment when unpredictable shifts in the flow of goods to consumers has dominated headlines, supply chains have become a driver of competitive differentiation for companies, with 65 percent believing their supply chain will be a source of differentiation in the next year. But the technological infrastructure that supports supply chains? It remains a weak spot. Many companies say they still rely on spreadsheets for all or part of planning.
This puts new pressure on companies to drive innovation — or be driven out of business. CIOs, VPs of IT infrastructure, system administrators and other IT professionals are tasked with one of the most difficult jobs in the midst of this: how to transition companies’ supply chains to new, enhanced systems without jeopardizing an existing competitive edge.
In many ways, IT teams have never been better positioned to launch their companies’ supply chain transformation. Their knowledge of existing systems and processes as well as their understanding of the technological foundations that support future capabilities, like artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML), means they are uniquely capable of balancing existing supply chain needs with opportunities for the next round of innovation. To lead digital transformation, IT professionals should consider some key questions.
- Choose best-of-breed or single vendor?
- Manage in-house or adopt software-as-a-service?
- Invest in infrastructure to support innovation today or wait for future developments?
For the rest of the article, and to read the answers to the above questions, click HERE.
