Why opting for a unified supply chain platform is the need of the hour?

Traditionally, there were ERP’s, a bunch of Planning, Procure to Pay, Logistics, Sourcing and Procurement, Contracting and Inventory systems, and many ingrown, allied processes that were either part of the ERP configuration or manual excel based home-grown methods. Procurement Owners and Sourcing Agents had to maneuver between many systems to get just one fact or information right.

Has this changed? Do we have all that is needed on one screen for a set of audiences? Or have we combined all these systems into one?

The answer is often mixed and, to some extent wavering. For some simple processes, the above questions can be easily achievable. However, for the other thousands of identified and un-identified procedures and requirements, it is still a combination of few systems, some integrations, and a lot of spreadsheets that are accessed by a set of audiences. These audiences are not classified based on the need or requirement.

Any changes to this required a support ticket to all the involved systems providers or, most often, a new integration/unification project with a new software services provider. And thus, increasing the number of parties involved in the Source to Pay process, as the old saying goes, “Too many cooks, spoil the Soup,” clearly setting a road for complexity.

So, how do we get the complete 360 views for the right set of audiences without all the above-mentioned circumstantial shortcomings?

The most viable solution is to have one Unified Platform that talks to the ERP (Source of Truth).

Now, let us get back to the need of the Hour. In an age where uncertainty looms over most of the Supply Chain activities and processes, the Sourcing and Procurement strategy for a Buying Organization needs to be addressed closely. It should be free of complexities to fit into the other allied Processes seamlessly.

While the Pandemic exposed some global loopholes in many proclaimed supply chains, the Suez Crisis exposed niche requirements within the planning and forecasting sides of the Global Supply Chains.

The need for a Unified Source to Pay Platform has always existed, invariably.

What are some of the general requirements for a Unified Platform? How can you kickstart your unification process?

How can you select a Platform best suited for your unique requirements?

–

This article is the first in a 4-part series on Unified Platform: Supply Chain, written by Rajesh Savio, Industry expert in SaaS source-to-pay optimization.