Supply Chain Management is used to describe how best to control products, revenue & data related to a particular business value chain. It looks at the end-to-end process to ensure that it is optimized, works efficiently, and is structured so that it improves overall business operations.
Too often companies have not paid sufficient attention to how well all the factors involved in producing a particular product or service are working together, resulting in process failures. This is why supply chain software is more in demand as operational complexity has increased, and the need to ensure that business disruption is minimized has become much more important.
At ITQlick we seek to recommend supply chain solutions that best fit the requirements of SMBs. This is because we understand that SMBs are generally going through rapid growth and need better control of their operational processes to ensure that they meet their strategic objectives.
Therefore in reviewing the solutions available we have considered factors that include cost-effectiveness, technology investment requirements & type of functionality present, scalability as well as how the product adapts to changing requirements. In so doing after reviewing a number of solutions, we can make the following recommendations.
1. JDA Supply Chain Now
This solution is designed for SMBs but is scalable to meet the needs of growing organizations. The product is available as a hosted solution which minimizes the technology requirement for SMBs. Its features include demand management, replenishment & inventory planning, production planning & order optimization, as well as enhanced reporting & monitoring options.
JDA Supply Chain Now helps companies identify potential supply chain bottlenecks so that proactive action can be taken, as well as recommend process improvements to improve the supply chain cycle. It offers a cost effective option to growing SMBs that need to optimize their supply chain.
2. Logility Voyager
Logility Voyager provides a number of specially designed supply chain solutions that can address different value chains of an SMB’s operations. These include demand optimization, inventory optimization, supply optimization, retail optimization, as well as transportation & logistics optimization. The product is scalable for any size of business and is offered as an on-premise, hosted, and cloud-based solution.
In addition, it includes advanced analytics options for reporting as well as support for dashboards & KPI analysis. Another important point for SMBs is that it offers a collaboration platform through which companies can interact with suppliers and other parties in the value chain.
3. SAP Supply Chain Management
SAP offers another complete supply chain solution that includes sales, inventory & operations planning, as well as demand, manufacturing & supply planning. There is support for online collaboration to manage process optimization, and this can be applied to spare parts, transportation, and warehouse management as well. The product is available as an on-premise and cloud-based solution while also supporting mobile device access as well.
There is a strong analytics portfolio to track performance & KPIs, as well as identify supply chain issues and recommend solutions to avoid disruptions. This is a good solution for those SMBs looking to consolidate on the SAP platform as the product is scalable and will adapt to business growth.
4. Infor SCM
Infor SCM provides specialized solutions for different industry-based supply chains, which is a good option for SMBs which work in different sectors. Its features include sales & operations planning, as well as supply chain planning & execution. There is a collaboration platform to allow SMBs to communicate more effectively with customers & suppliers to seek process improvement while reducing supply chain delays.
In addition, the product is available as both an on-premise as well as a cloud-based solution. Infor SCM also helps SMBs to dynamically evaluate and select supply chains using data analytics, and suggests avenues to optimize them with the goal of enhancing profitability.
5. Planvisage
This is another supply chain solution that focuses on forecasting & replenishment processes, as well as advanced planning & scheduling that includes demand planning & distribution resource planning, production planning as well as scheduling. In addition, it supports lean operations, as well as demand-pull strategies for process optimization.
Planvisage is designed for SMBs and is available as an on premise solution. It provides a cost effective solution for SMBs while also allowing a high level of customization of the product, and can be integrated into third-party software including ERP systems.