The impact that supply chain leaders have on their respective businesses is predicated on the supply chain management systems and especially supply chain planning systems that they have in place. While many have already adopted some tools to support market demands — or at least have plans to — these tools are often cumbersome, disconnected or subsidized with spreadsheets. In fact, according to a 2020 survey conducted by Modern Materials Handling, a staggering 45% of supply chain professionals reported they are using mostly or entirely manual processes. The bad news is, those who continue to rely on manual planning will likely fall behind. But, the good news? Transitioning from spreadsheets to digital planning supported by AI-powered planning solutions is very much within reach.
In this blog, we’ll explore these areas:
To put it bluntly, using spreadsheets to manage your supply chain is a slow-moving, time-consuming, and error-prone process — especially when compared to digital methods. Take a look at the risks listed below, related to spreadsheet-based planning. You could be familiar with some of them, and others you may not even realize are impacting your business.
To learn more about the risks of spreadsheets, check out our blog, The Hidden Threats of Spreadsheet-Based Supply Chain Planning.
When you compare digital supply chain planning against more traditional methods, the benefits are clear. Below are just some of the reasons supply chain executives have made the strategic decision to shift to digital solutions. More details about these can be found in our recent AI benefits checklist.
All of these advantages add up to better outcomes and greater confidence, not just for your supply chain but for your business as a whole. You can dig deeper into these benefits in our recent blog, The Benefits of Shifting from Manual to Digital Supply Chain Planning.
Shifting from manual supply chain planning to the use of digital solutions gives you the power to improve and accelerate your decision-making, unlock profitable growth opportunities, reduce risk, and efficiently scale your business. So, how can you make the shift? We’ve outlined a few steps you can take to begin your transition.
Think about these as they relate not just to your supply chain, but to every part of your organization. How will meeting your short-term and long-term supply chain goals help to fulfill the goals of your business cross-functionally?
Perhaps you’re dealing with some or all of the risks of manual supply chain planning that we highlighted earlier, and you’d like to address those head on. Or maybe you anticipate a broader scope of opportunities that could be better served by the enablement of digital solutions. Think about what you can address now, and into the future.
As you assess your goals, challenges, and opportunities, you’ll need a digital solution partner that can help you develop a strategic roadmap that will address the full vision of your organization and provide industry insights. Look for a partner that offers trusted expertise, flexibility to evolve with your business, and scalability of solutions and support that can empower your growth.
As you do your research into solution providers that could be the best fit for your business, outside of inquiring about initial and ongoing investment, you might consider asking these questions during your conversations with them.
Once you’ve selected your ideal digital solutions partner, it will then be critical to facilitate collaboration on the decision and next steps across every impacted function of your business. Get every department leader and executive onboard to ensure full alignment in preparation for the initial implementation and ongoing transitions of your digitalization roadmap.
Among the industry leaders guiding supply chain professionals through their digital journey is Firstshift.ai. Firstshift offers both transformative AI-powered planning solutions and supply chain planning expertise. It’s a powerful combination of services that empower businesses to:
To discover if Firstshift is the right partner for your shift to AI-powered planning solutions, schedule your free demo.