Supply Chain Analytics

Our July 14th IT and Supply Chain peer group meeting discussed the prevalent topic of Supply Chain Analytics. More specifically, the group learned how to aggregate and use data analytics. Participants heard from highly qualified speakers on how to use analytics in a beneficial way to help optimize supply chain performance.

With supply chains becoming more complicated, businesses are being faced with new pressures to meet difficult demands from their customers. Learning how to better use data in order to understand and optimize your supply chain performance is a key way to make sure to stay up to date in our fast-paced world.

Molly Miller, a Business Intelligence Manager at Amcor kicked off our meeting with a UWEBC Member Spotlight presentation about her company’s data analytics journey. Molly discussed how Amcor has found it beneficial to have an analytics team, separate from core IT and aligned with the business that has the capacity to innovate and respond in a timely fashion to respond to the needs of the business. This separate team embedded within each IT team is a trend that is increasing in popularity among successful businesses. Molly also discussed how her team does a lot of trial and error to see what will “stick” with them.

After Molly’s presentation, participants learned how to use data for predictive analytics and network optimization by Ralph Asher, the Founder of Data Driven Supply Chain LLC. Ralph emphasized that Supply Chain Management was once a “behind-the-scenes” corporate function, but is now front-page news. He identified how supply chain analytics could be used through prescriptive, predictive, and descriptive analytics. Ralph gave thoughts on how to move along the old BI maturity model spectrum with small steps, leveraging data and tools that don’t come with hefty corporate price tags. He also discussed how Supply Chain Network Design and optimization models are powerful tools to help evaluate your organization’s supply chain strategy and to understand decisions made with tradeoffs.

Following Ralph’s fascinating presentation, the virtual and in-person event attendees split up into breakout sessions to discuss ideas they heard and planned on how to apply those to their own companies.

In today’s market, it is more important now than ever to learn how to gain end-to-end visibility of supply chain activity while also leveraging data analytics to manage costs, monitor speed, be more resilient, and make data-driven decisions. As discussed, learning how to successfully aggregate and use data analytics is crucial to optimizing your supply chain performance.