Digitize Your Global Supply Chain
The global supply chain is comprised of a set of complex business processes involving many players spread all over the world. An effective Global Trade Management (GTM) digital platform must be able to handle these diverse functions and be able to integrate well with both systems and people. A digital supply chain is an enabler of value. It will enable you to manage global risk; improve agility, speed and quality; and reduce costs in many areas of your operation. IDC predicts that, by 2020, digitally-mature companies will achieve $430 billion in productivity gains over their less-connected peers.
A digital model represents a copy of the real world.
Think of it as a digital twin of the real world. Unlike the physical world, it is possible to manipulate, process and analyze a digital version of your supply chain with computer software. This unlocks tremendous value through improved collaboration, automation, and analytics. It also creates a flexible and adaptable operating platform. New technological paradigms like Blockchain, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Big Data are changing the game.
COLLABORATION
Collaboration is the act of sharing information. For instance, sharing electronic data with your suppliers, freight forwarders, carriers, customs brokers, Customs, and customers is collaboration. Making information available in a secure manner, via a web browser, is collaboration. Robust collaboration enables pertinent information to be communicated efficiently, in near real time, and without error, thereby creating value.
ANALYTICS
Analytics is the ability to derive new and valuable insights from a set of data. It may consist of identifying a correlation between multiple data elements that was previously unknown. Or, it may be the ability to highlight a statistical trend. Having all global trade and supply chain data housed in a central digital database provides unique and tremendous opportunities to identify value through analytics.
AUTOMATION
Automation is having a machine replace the work of a human. Not all global supply chain activities can be automated, but many can be. Automation creates a process-by-exception paradigm, whereby activities that require input or answers are routed to the responsible parties. Typically, as data is gathered and decisions are made, the percentage of these “exceptions” occurring goes down over time, creating a continuous improvement model.
FLEXIBILITY
Flexibility is the ability to react to changes. Sometimes these changes occur over a long period of time and sometimes they occur almost instantaneously. Within the global supply chain, models and paradigms are ever changing, such has been demonstrated recently with the e-commerce revolution. Government regulations and programs can sometimes change very quickly; in some countries, these changes can occur literally overnight. A digital platform that can adapt to these changes in a quick and efficient manner is both an enabling and powerful tool.