Kinexions Day 2: Supply Chain Data, and Processes, and People, Oh My!

“The future is about this connected enterprise with people working together.”

– Trevor Miles, VP of Thought Leadership at Kinaxis

The first day of Kinexions 2016 introduced the revolution of the supply chain. There’s no stopping the speed at which supply chains are running today, which means businesses have to integrate technology, processes, and people in order to successfully manage their supply chain and mitigate risks that arise. So how do we actually implement integrated supply chain solutions? That’s where Day 2 of Kinexions came in, with sessions and discussions focused on how businesses today are actually leveraging technology and transforming their internal infrastructures for more efficient end-to-end supply chain planning. Based on learnings from the second and final day of Kinexions, here’s how to actually implement digitization and take your supply chain to the next level.

Leverage IoT and AI in Business Strategy

In his session, Zoltan Pekar explained that while Roland DG Corporation had been at the forefront of digital technology and computing, there was now a need to integrate thanks to the rise of IoT and AI – the “4^th Industrial Revolution”. In order to do this, Roland DG needed both the right technology and processes in place. With RapidResponse, Pekar and his team were able to set the foundation of their integrated strategy, becoming more data-driven, agile, and responsive. They then created a new corporate culture and management system, embracing digitization, collaboration, and customer centricity. By integrating new technology and strategy, Roland DG has been able to break down siloes and connect its entire value chain.

Adopt Adaptive Collaboration

One of the key capabilities of RapidResponse is concurrent planning. Before the rise of cloud technologies, businesses would communicate about supply chain problems through email, where attachments and information would get lost and collaboration was difficult. The day’s live concurrent planning demo showed how RapidResponse ties in the key ingredient to supply chain efficiency: the people. The demo started with an executive noticing a discrepancy in revenue within RapidResponse, and using the platform to create an interactive collaboration with a demand planner to begin resolving the issue. By tying together technology and human judgement, people are able to collaborate quickly and efficiently on a supply chain problem within a single interface.

Maintain the Momentum After Implementation

Implementing a tool like RapidResponse successfully is important, but that’s not where the story ends. After implementation, the next step is to keep users engaged and make sure you’re continuing to find new opportunities that get you value from the system. Brands like AMGEN, Cisco, D&M Group, and Avaya shared different ways they’ve kept up the momentum:

• Seeing is believing. D&M Group found that when people actually saw what RapidResponse was capable of, they began looking for more opportunities to leverage it. Those who were using the tool and were inside the data every day, were the ones who pushed to do more and find more capabilities.
• Once implemented, AMGEN set up a center of excellence called the RapidResponse Competency Center (R2C2). The R2C2 team creates enhancement roadmaps that focus on what they want to build and roll out over the next 3-4 years. This planning keeps people engaged and excited about the future.
• Avaya started to use RapidResponse to automate a lot of supply chain processes, which freed up employees’ time for more critical thinking and action.

Kinexions 2016 showed that it isn’t only about technology or the people. The future of supply chain lies within the integration of data, processes, and people, with many brands already embracing it across their businesses. So, what are you waiting for? Join the revolution and we’ll see you next year for Kinexions 2017!