Video: Adapting to disruptions with better supply chain visibility

A common requirement we are seeing in the market is the increased need for adaptability in the supply chain, so organisations can better respond to disruptions when they occur. But to be adaptable, companies need better visibility over the entire supply chain, not just the parts that they control. 

Logistics operators not only need to know where the goods are, but they also want to know what the next set of events is occurring in the supply chain so if there are delays, they can better adapt on the fly. Customers also need this visibility to be adaptive themselves and better plan their own activities, and without a visibility solution set up, may find themselves with increased costs, loss of productivity and damage to brand reputation.

A major challenge with visibility is that businesses do not have ‘one source of truth’ for all of their operations data. This challenge often occurs due to a multitude of disparate systems performing specialised tasks (TMS, WMS, Asset management, Compliance etc) which can cause data silos, with only 6% of companies reporting full visibility within their supply chain. Data silos can be detrimental to industries such as transportation and logistics that require separate processes and organisations for manufacturing, packing, transportation, and distribution. 

Companies, no matter the size, are finding that supply chain visibility can no longer be ignored, and the implementation of a visibility platform will help to eliminate silos and provide a single source of truth for the end-to-end supply chain. 

Alan Dowsett, Head of Origin, talks about how we are not just conglomerating the data together for our clients in Origin, but we're then helping push that data back into external systems so their clients also know what's going on, without having to log into a third party system. 

For many logistics operators, improving customer experience is a key driver for achieving supply chain visibility. Implementing a customer visibility portal is an effective way to deliver self-service visibility to customers to improve their overall experience. Leveraging the real-time data from the Origin platform, customers will not only have the ability to track their goods in real-time but also quickly gain answers to common questions such as “where is my container?” and “when can I expect my goods” as well as additional functions such as placing new orders, self-service reporting and more.

Watch this video with some of our team members as they discuss the current state of supply chain visibility and how it can be achieved with Origin’s software to create a meaningful context for all events across the end-to-end supply chain. 

Key takeaways from the video:

• Achieving adaptable supply chains through visibility
• Creating a single version of the truth for supply chain data
• The role of visibility software