Digital technology is transforming global supply chains, delivering unprecedented speed, precision and insight. Accelerating adoption is placing new demands on companies and their partner suppliers and vendors to more actively collaborate and share real-time information.

A new type of supply chain is emerging that is increasingly reliant on digital tools to optimize and automate processes, holistic in its always-on, end-to-end control tower visibility, and collaborative in its partner relationships rather than dictated from the top down and inside-out.

Given the complex operational tradeoffs supply chains face in the post-Covid, omnichannel fulfillment environment, this new model isn’t really “managed” in the traditional sense but instead “orchestrated.”

Data and historic knowledge walled off in functional or divisional silos running on discreet software solutions will need to be unlocked to free up end-to-end efficiencies and value. Operators heavily focused on demand forecasting in the past will now need better upstream visibility to address congestion and supply interruption risks. 

Conventional track-and-trace based on the last order transaction completed is no longer enough; fulfillment complexity and demanding customer expectations demand real-time, actionable visibility of the spaces between, to manage ETAs, avoid stockouts and ensure customer transparency. 

In the fast-changing compliance landscape — on carbon emissions, materials waste and circularity, forced labor, sanctions and more — reporting and verification of the provenance of materials and imports used in manufacturing will receive greater scrutiny, with an established chain of custody in some cases. 

Finally, analytics will be essential to process, interpret and prioritize millions of data points and thousands of strategic options in seconds to make informed recommendations to drive operator decisions.

Get your copy of From Management to Orchestration for more on how orchestration will redefine upstream and downstream supply chain relationships, redraw organizational roles and responsibilities, and integrate artificial intelligence and machine learning into day-to-day operations and strategic planning. 

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