Transform Your Supply Chain Planning and Marketing Strategies with Google Cloud and SAP Integration
Transform Your Supply Chain Planning and Marketing Strategies with Google Cloud and SAP Integration
January 4, 2024 | Manju Devadas
Blog / Why Decision Intelligence Platforms Hold the Key to Cutting Supply Chain Overheads in 2024
2023 was a landmark year, a period of significant transformation and realization for businesses worldwide. It was the year companies across various sectors acknowledged the critical need to establish a robust data foundation, essential for accelerating the adoption of advanced analytics capabilities through AI, Gen AI, and Machine Learning. This shift was more than a technological upgrade; it was a strategic move towards embracing data-driven decision-making at its core.
Key Highlights of 2023:
As 2023 rolled out, we learned the hard lesson that supply chain disruptions, market instability, and changing consumer dynamics are here to stay. Relying solely on traditional supply chain methods is no longer sufficient to stay afloat in this dynamic environment. A key learning from this period is that companies who adopt an objective view of their data, integrate external datasets, and leverage advanced analytical capabilities (like AI and Gen AI) to address specific use cases have emerged as winners in these tumultuous times. This strategic approach to data and technology has been a game changer, as we will explore later in this article.
The year 2023 was not just about embracing advanced analytics; it was a response to the acute crises rippling through global supply chains. Let’s delve into the top challenges that defined this landscape and are continuing to impact businesses into 2024:
Pluto7’s response to the evolving supply chain landscape hinges on a three-platform approach, each powered by Generative AI. This strategy focuses on providing Decision Intelligence through three distinct yet interconnected platforms: Planning in a Box, CX Sense, and Konnect Manufacturing. Each platform is tailor-made to target key areas within the supply chain, creating a holistic solution that is both comprehensive and nuanced. These tools are easy to use, scalable, and affordable. They can be set up in four weeks and require a monthly subscription.
Levi’s was struggling with significant inventory management issues due to a lack of visibility at the SKU level, leading to inefficient product distribution and increased transit costs. A particular operational challenge involved accurately determining the optimal number of jeans that could fit into a carton.
With Planning in a Box, Levi’s tackled these challenges head-on. The platform provided critical insights into SKU-level demand and enabled more efficient packaging strategies.
Business Outcomes:
Planning in a Box™ is a cloud-based planning platform that provides a single view of the supply chain. It includes a variety of planning tools, such as demand forecasting, inventory optimization, and supply chain risk management.
It uses advanced algorithms to predict demand with unprecedented accuracy, ensuring that inventory levels are optimized to meet market needs without excess. This platform is instrumental in minimizing wastage and reducing holding costs, crucial for maintaining financial health, especially in volatile market conditions.
Tacori faced a complex data environment where customer insights, internal data, and ERP systems were disconnected. This lack of integration led to limited inventory visibility, hampering their ability to respond to market changes and customer needs effectively.
Leveraging Planning in a Box and CXSense, Tacori transitioned from disjointed data systems to a cohesive, data-driven approach, significantly improving their supply chain efficiency and customer responsiveness.
Business Outcomes:
CX Sense is a customer experience platform that helps planners understand customer needs and preferences. It includes tools for customer segmentation, customer journey mapping, and customer feedback analysis.
This platform equips companies, especially in the Retail and CPG industries, with advanced demand sensing and marketing analytics capabilities. It allows them to refine their marketing and sales strategies, ensuring alignment with the constantly evolving customer preferences and market dynamics.
Lixil/American Standard was grappling with a significant challenge: their manufacturing decision-making process was painfully slow, taking up to 15 hours, burdened by disorganized and conflicting data from various regions. This data overload led to serious issues in production planning, resulting in excessive inventory that was costly to maintain.
Konnect Manufacturing enabled Lixil to streamline its data, bringing order and efficiency to its decision-making process.
Business Outcomes:
Konnect Manufacturing is a manufacturing execution platform that helps planners track and manage production orders.
Konnect Manufacturing addresses the critical aspect of manufacturing efficiency. It aligns production schedules closely with real-time demand, thereby reducing overproduction and associated waste. For manufacturers, this platform is a key tool in achieving operational excellence, ensuring that resources are utilized optimally and sustainability goals are met.
Explore Konnect Manufacturing Decision Intelligence Platform
All three platforms are built upon a robust architecture that integrates seamlessly with Google Cloud and SAP systems, extending to Oracle EBS and beyond. This integration facilitates the connection of various data points – from marketing and sales to supply chain and finance – all within the ERPs. The use of Generative AI across these platforms enhances the ability to process and analyze data efficiently, enabling rapid deployment in just four weeks on customers’ own GCP/BTP tenants.
As we approach 2024, it’s important to reflect on 2023’s key learnings and adapt swiftly. If your business grapples with issues like excessive inventory, it’s time to delve into the causes. Could it be due to inadequate visibility? The solution might lie in embracing data centralization. If you are facing challenges in demand forecasting, integrating external datasets could be the key. For those who faced hurdles in manufacturing efficiency, AI-driven alignment with market demands could offer a way forward.
The year 2024 demands a shift in mindset – thinking holistically and strategically for the long term. This is where decision intelligence platforms come into play. With Pluto7’s offerings, such as Planning in a Box, CX Sense, and Konnect Manufacturing, you can start with addressing a specific issue and gradually expand to cover more complex needs. These platforms not only provide immediate solutions but also adapt and scale with your evolving business requirements.
We invite you to join our Gen AI Bootcamp, where you’ll discover how to harness the power of Generative AI for your business. From identifying the right use case to deploying an AI platform, we’ll guide you through a transformative journey, all within a span of 4 weeks.
Embrace the future with confidence. Join us at the Gen AI Bootcamp and start your journey towards a data-driven, efficient, and responsive business model for 2024 and beyond.
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