By Marijke Voet, Commercial Manager. TMX UK.
With supply volatility and geopolitical unrest circling, supply chain visibility has become a major priority for today’s business leaders. Control towers are enabling savvy businesses to not only solve immediate problems but identify future disruptions they wouldn’t have otherwise seen coming.
Supply Chain Management, Optimisation, Software, Execution
Supply chain management software (SCM) is a term that embraces a wide range of software functionality. The joint purpose of these different modules and tools is to better execute supply chain transactions, manage supplier relationships and control all main business processes related to supply and delivery. The discipline of SCM covers everything from the storage and movement of parts and raw materials, to work in progress (WIP) and the management of goods and materials from source to the point of delivery to the customer. The APICS Dictionary describes SCM as the \"design, planning, execution, control, and monitoring of supply chain activities with the objective of creating net value, building a competitive infrastructure, leveraging worldwide logistics, synchronizing supply with demand and measuring performance globally.
How control towers enable sight of the supply chain
Dec 14, 2023
Retail Supply Chain & Logistics Expo – The unmissable event for retail professionals
Dec 13, 2023
Retail Supply Chain & Logistics Expo is the UK’s leading retail focused supply chain & logistics event with innovative exhibitors with the latest technologies and strategies. Taking place on the 27th & 28th of February, the ExCeL London, will be transformed into an electrifying hub dedicated to the retail and supply chain sector.
Consolidate to accumulate
Dec 12, 2023
Pooling inventory to serve both fashion retail stores and e-commerce channels can create an engine for growth, with increased sales and higher margins. Darcy de Thierry, Managing Director of Ferag UK, explains how.
Consumers optimistic about 2024 financial outlook, as Paysafe research reveals shifts in spending and saving habits
Dec 11, 2023
After a challenging 2023, nearly half (49%) of consumers worldwide are confident that their financial situation will improve in the coming year.
FourKites unveils supply chain training platform to help customers maximise value and increase ROI
Dec 11, 2023
Supply chain visibility provider FourKites has launched the FourKites Academy, a comprehensive training platform designed to help supply chain professionals advance in their careers and business goals with high-quality, industry-recognised training resources.
Supply chain optimisation through innovation and evolution
Dec 07, 2023
In the quest for supply chain optimisation, innovation emerges as a game-changer. It is all about leveraging modern technologies to make the supply chain more efficient, resilient, and sustainable. Adrian Wood Director of Strategic Business Development at DELMIA, takes a closer look at how the supply chain is continuing to optimize through innovation and evolution.
Embracing prosperity in the New Year: Unveiling the benefits of free trade zones
Dec 07, 2023
By Brent Dawkins, Director of Product Marketing, QAD.
As the clock strikes midnight and the world ushers in a New Year, hope and optimism fill the air, bringing with them the promise of a fresh start and new opportunities. In the realm of international trade and economic development, this anticipation is mirrored by the presence of Free Trade Zones (FTZs)....
The "beating heart" of retail: how delivery management platforms help businesses drive ecommerce success
Nov 30, 2023
By Johan Hellman, Vice President, Product & Carrier at nShift.
Delivery management is about much more than ensuring that the right goods reach the right customer on time, though that can be complicated enough. Online shoppers have a low tolerance for mess-ups or glitches: most will leave after just two problems, never to return.
Les Grands Chais de France (LGCF) future-proofs its international supply chain network with Körber
Nov 29, 2023
LGCF, the French wine exporting company, relies on Körber’s Warehouse Management System, Warehouse Control System, voice and gamification solutions to accelerate the performance at 14 logistics sites.
Optimising truck loading solutions - What does the future hold?
Nov 27, 2023
By Jennifer Charles, freelance writer.
The logistics industry has seen significant growth and development over the past few decades. While everything from planning to trucks has definitely come a long way, there’s still an impressive amount of innovation happening, and it’s important that logistics providers take note of what they could improve.
Supply Chain Management Software (SCM)
Supply chain management software (SCMS) is a business term which refers to a whole range of software tools or modules used in executing supply chain transactions, managing supplier relationships and controlling associated business processes. Supply chain management spans all movement and storage of raw materials, work-in-process inventory, and finished goods from point of origin to point of consumption.
Supply Chain Management (SCM) includes all the activities that must take place to get the right product into the right consumer’s hands in the right quantity and at the right time. The supply chain manager supervises all the related logistical processes for the organisation. Effective supply chain management involves the coordination of all of the various elements of the chain as quickly as possible by harmonizing the contributions at each stage, including use of vendor partners and third-party service providers. This must be done as cost-effectively as possible and the priority is to be customer-driven.
Being more attentive to the stages throughout the length of the chain helps companies to stay competitive, reduces overall costs, increases efficiency and ultimately, keeps the customers happy. Supply chains are becoming increasingly integrated and complex, and as such now require dedicated and well-trained managers
Supply chain management (SCM) is sometimes broken down into the stages of planning, execution and shipping. Supply chain planning (SCP) and supply chain execution are the two main categories of SCM software. SCP software applications apply algorithms to predict future requirements and balance supply and demand.
Another definition is provided by the APICS Dictionary when it defines SCM as the "design, planning, execution, control, and monitoring of supply chain activities with the objective of creating net value, building a competitive infrastructure, leveraging worldwide logistics, synchronizing supply with demand and measuring performance globally."
Supply chain execution (SCE) is the flow of tasks involved in the supply chain, such as order fulfilment, procurement, warehousing and transporting. SCE software applications track the physical status of goods, the management of materials, and financial information involving all parties.
Supply chain planning software helps organizations manage and replenish their inventory through sales and demand forecasting. As part of a supply chain management system, supply chain planning solutions like sales & operations planning (S&OP) serve an important function in the on-going effort to reduce waste and increase profitability.
Supply chain optimization software handles capacity planning as well as sequencing and scheduling. Beyond simply providing demand estimation data, it allows organizations to act immediately on any pertinent information gathered from the data by altering delivery schedules, shifting stored inventory loads, and adjusting revenue and expense projections.
Supply Chain standards and models:
There are a variety of supply chain models. The Supply-Chain Operations Reference model (SCOR) , developed by the management consulting firm PRTM, now part of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) has been endorsed by the Supply-Chain Council (SCC) and has become the industry standard diagnostic tool for supply chain management. SCOR measures total supply chain performance in terms of production flexibility, fulfillment performance, order delivery, reverse logistics efficiency/returns processing, warranty and general service levels.
