How your supply chain can give you a competitive edge

Don’t underestimate the size of the opportunity

So why aren’t more companies embracing SCO? Research by Grant Thornton in the US found more than a third (36%) of the 375 manufacturing executives it surveyed are yet to formulate such a strategy. A separate international study across all sectors suggests even more entities globally have yet to embrace SCO (44%).

Hickey explains: “A lot of companies don’t understand it or appreciate the size of the opportunity. It takes a visionary somewhere in management to make the decision to say: ‘We’re going to rethink our supply chain and do it better.’”

The process is vital, because while some companies are contemplating their first step, competitors are striding ahead with the realisation they can benefit from shorter cycle times and lower working capital, which means they save money, are more efficient and can focus on quality.

What’s holding organisations back?

Directors surveyed for Grant Thornton’s International Business Report reported several obstacles to increasing automation along their supply chains. Concern about the financial impact was the main factor, followed by implementation complexity.

Regional and industry differences also emerged. While cultural aversion to providing increased transparency between suppliers was generally low, the Asia Pacific region was the most culturally averse to this. In industry terms, agriculture and tourism were the two sectors that had the most concerns regarding the implementation complexity of increased automation. The oil, gas, mining and quarrying industries focused more on cost.

Grant Thornton’s US report, "The future of growth and the manufacturing industry: disrupting products, production and supply" (read the report), generated more detail. For example, supply chain complexity and inefficiencies were cited as blockers (44%), but so were growing regulatory, tax and political uncertainty (41%); the sheer effort required to manage defensive priorities, such as compliance (37%); inability to source digital talent and skills (33%); and concern about ability to manage the tax implications of key growth strategies, such as acquisitions (19%). Inability to find funding sources was a further issue for 15% of respondents.

The report – which draws on the responses of C-suite professionals from various sectors, including food and beverage, automotive, metals and chemicals – warns that the gap between the leaders and other businesses will grow as technology widens the performance gap and makes it more difficult to catch up.

How do you master SCO?

Research company Gartner ranks the world’s top 25 supply chains and its latest study says the top companies are particularly focused on three key things. First, they are creating digital connections across and within their supply chain operations such as combining Internet of Things sensors, cloud computing and advanced analytics. Next, they are using modular supply chains (where component parts are subdivided into modules that are easily replaced or interchanged). And third, they recognise that their own company’s health depends on the health and success of suppliers, partners, employees and customers – so they listen to and support their needs.

But it’s not only a concern for the likes of Amazon, Apple and Cisco. UK SME Aspect has hired a data analyst to give the property maintenance company a competitive advantage. Managing Director Will Davies told the Daily Telegraph that the move has helped the company anticipate demand better: “When it rains, we get more roofing calls, and when it's cold we get more boiler calls. Severe weather is generally good for our business.

If we can see a cold snap is coming and web traffic is increasing, we might need to hire 10 more engineers, and every engineer requires a certain amount of ‘stuff’ and it all impacts on our supply chain.”

What are the crucial success factors?

For those just getting started, Melhuish says a company’s approach to supply chain optimisation will depend on the nature of the challenge. “Any enterprise should consider what the problem is that they’re trying to solve,” he says. “Is it a market issue, are they losing bids, is it reliability, margin shrinkage, lead times or access to information?

“Think about differentiation and critical success factors. They will then lead you to the actions you need to take and the technological investments you’ll need to make. You have to have the outcome in mind first and then apply the right solution.”

Hickey suggests organisations avoid trying to tackle everything in one hit and recommends training to support employees. “Having been a CEO I wouldn’t want to put an organisation through lots of change at once. It’s a multi-year process and works better when people are part of it, particularly when you’re used to dealing with standardised and long established processes.”

The prize on offer is clear, but failing to act is not an option long term. The Grant Thornton US report offers a stark warning: “If a company does not want to be stranded on the wrong side of that chasm, it must initiate farsighted, strategic and profound change.”