“Supply chain ecosystems – networks of suppliers, plants and transport firms – are the future for those seeking resilience,” comments Helena Jochberger, Global Lead for Manufacturing at CGI, in the November 2022 issue of Supply Chain Magazine.
Helena asserts that robust supplier ecosystems can help manufacturers offset inflation, support real-time supply and create transparency for sustainability.
Offsetting inflation
“With increasing uncertainty, the question of real-time scenario planning and multi-criteria risk management becomes more relevant. This is the point where data-driven ecosystems can provide significant support,” Helena explains.
She notes that ecosystem participants need three things to be able to share data: clear contractual frameworks with defined rights and duties, trust in sharing their data, and data standards in place.
“With the help of privacy-enhancing technologies, manufacturers can share data without disclosing intellectual property,” Helena says. “If organized in the right way, data-driven supplier ecosystems can help mitigate inflation by assuring supply in manufacturers’ value chain,” she adds.
Real-time supply
Another area where robust supplier ecosystems pay dividends is in mitigating disruption.
“Data ecosystems support real-time supply in the manufacturing value chain. If one supplier is unable to deliver a part, they will know because of predictive forecasting, and another supplier will take over,” says Helena.
Transparency for sustainability
“Sustainability targets have become a business imperative, as financial institutions will no longer finance companies that are not adhering to ESG compliance,” Helena continues. “Data-driven supplier ecosystems create transparency on emissions and wastage along the value chain, and because of this, manufacturers will be able to reduce both.”
Read the full article at Supply Chain Magazine
Also read Helena’s blog: Sustainability, data and supply chain resilience: key takeaways from the Power of Unified Manufacturing event
