Supply chain services

One meaningful way to address current challenges in today’s complex environment is to focus on Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), which is an integrated approach to manage products and related knowledge in a transparent way in order to improve product time-to-market, cross-functional compliance while ensuring end-to-end integration and driving greater efficiencies. By combining product and process data, PLM provides visibility and traceability as well as the link between the regulatory and manufacturing world.

From product development and sourcing through manufacturing and distribution, it’s never been more important to have all the moving parts of the supply chain synchronized. This requires a top-down strategy supported by all roles that touch the supply chain – which is to say, everyone. It also requires commitment to develop a governance structure, end-to-end processes, supply chain skills, performance metrics and to enable state-of-the art technologies that move a supply chain strategy from paper to reality.

The past few years have brought fundamental changes in the role of the procurement function in many companies. However, organizations still face challenges in evolving beyond a transactional role because purchasers’ activities are often misaligned with company strategy. Often viewed as purely a “cost out” or “cost containment” function in the past, expected to deliver goods on time and at a low price, procurement has now matured significantly in many organizations and has become a strategic leader and advocate for greater operational effectiveness.

Despite years of experience with operations improvement methods such as Lean and Six Sigma, many manufacturers still have opportunities to conduct rapid, integrated operations transformations across a complex production system. It is a capability they need to address global manufacturing competition, increasing customer expectations and shifting global economics. Companies that can rapidly develop high-performing production systems can also develop competitive advantage just as quickly.

On the surface, the process from procuring raw materials and producing a product to its distribution to customers seems quite simple and relatively easy to manage. However, demanding customers, increasing regulations, value of speed to market, innovative distribution channels and competitive market players increase the importance and complexity of supply chain management.

In view of ongoing globalization, businesses are facing increasingly complex challenges that require them to rethink their logistics and distribution strategy. Diversifying product mix and channels and capturing share in emerging markets are just some of the measures to deal with these pressures. But more is only part of the answer. You also need better. Better visibility. Better agility. Better differentiation. New customer patterns are changing the way supply and demand fluctuates, and it’s never been more important to get what you need where it’s needed at exactly the right time.