Real-time data flows can provide competitive advantage
Peter Weill of MIT tells the audience at the IFS Unleashed user conference about the benefits of being a "real-time business."
Ben Ames
"Real-time businesses" typically have more than 50% higher revenue growth and net margins than their peers, according to chairman of MIT's Center for Information Systems Research.
Ben Ames has spent 20 years as a journalist since starting out as a daily newspaper reporter in Pennsylvania in 1995. From 1999 forward, he has focused on business and technology reporting for a number of trade journals, beginning when he joined Design News and Modern Materials Handling magazines. Ames is author of the trail guide "Hiking Massachusetts" and is a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism.
These "real-time businesses," according to Weill, use trusted, real-time data to enable people and systems to make real-time decisions. By adopting that strategy, these companies gain three major capabilities:
Increased business agility without needing a change management program to implement it;
Seamless digital customer journeys via self-service, automated, or assisted multiproduct, multichannel experiences; and
Thoughtful employee experiences enabled by technology empowered teams.
The benefits of this real-time focus are significant, according to Weill. In a study with Insight Partners, he found that those companies that were best-in-class at implementing automated processes and real-time decision-making had more than 50% higher revenue growth and net margins than their peers.
Nor is adopting a real-time data stance restricted to just digital or tech-native businesses. Rather, Weill said that it can produce successful results for any companies that can apply the approach better than their immediate competitors.
Weill's remarks came today during a session titled “Becoming a Real-Time Business: Unlocking the Transformative Power of Digital, Data, and AI" at at the “IFS Unleashed” show in Orlando, Florida.
The North American robotics market saw a decline in both units ordered (down 7.9% to 15,705 units) and revenue (down 6.8% to $982.83 million) during the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, as North American manufacturers faced ongoing economic headwinds, according to a report from the Association for Advancing Automation (A3).
“Rising inflation and borrowing costs have dampened spending on robotics, with many companies opting to delay major investments,” said Jeff Burnstein, president, A3. “Despite these challenges, the push for operational efficiency and workforce augmentation continues to drive demand for robotics in industries such as food and consumer goods and life sciences, among others. As companies navigate labor shortages and increased production costs, the role of automation is becoming ever more critical in maintaining global competitiveness.”
The downward trend was led by weakness in automotive manufacturing, which traditionally leads the charge in buying robots. In the first half of 2024, automotive OEMs ordered 4,159 units (up 14.4%) but generated revenue of $259.96 million (down 12.0%). The Automotive Components sector was even worse, orders 3,574 units (down 38.8%) for $191.93 million in revenue (down 27.3%). Declines also happened in the Semiconductor & Electronics/Photonics sector and the Plastics & Rubber sector.
On the positive side, Food & Consumer Goods companies ordered 1,173 units (up 85.6%) for $62.84 million in revenue (up 56.2%). This growth reflects the increasing reliance on robotics for efficiency in food processing and packaging as companies seek to address labor shortages and rising costs, A3 said. And the Life Sciences industry ordered 1,007 units (up 47.9%) for revenue of $47.29 million (up 86.7%) as it continued its reliance on robotics for efficiency and precision.
Supply chain planning (SCP) leaders working on transformation efforts are focused on two major high-impact technology trends, composite AI and supply chain data governance, according to a study from Gartner, Inc.
"SCP leaders are in the process of developing transformation roadmaps that will prioritize delivering on advanced decision intelligence and automated decision making," Eva Dawkins, Director Analyst in Gartner’s Supply Chain practice, said in a release. "Composite AI, which is the combined application of different AI techniques to improve learning efficiency, will drive the optimization and automation of many planning activities at scale, while supply chain data governance is the foundational key for digital transformation.”
Their pursuit of those roadmaps is often complicated by frequent disruptions and the rapid pace of technological innovation. But Gartner says those leaders can accelerate the realized value of technology investments by facilitating a shift from IT-led to business-led digital leadership, with SCP leaders taking ownership of multidisciplinary teams to advance business operations, channels and products.
“A sound data governance strategy supports advanced technologies, such as composite AI, while also facilitating collaboration throughout the supply chain technology ecosystem,” said Dawkins. “Without attention to data governance, SCP leaders will likely struggle to achieve their expected ROI on key technology investments.”
Confronted with the closed ports, most companies can either route their imports to standard East Coast destinations and wait for the strike to clear, or else re-route those containers to West Coast sites, incurring a three week delay for extra sailing time plus another week required to truck those goods back east, Ron said in an interview at the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP)’s EDGE Conference in Nashville.
However, Uber Freight says its latest platform updates offer a series of mitigation options, including alternative routings, pre-booked allocation and volume during peak season, and providing daily visibility reports on shipments impacted by routings via U.S. east and gulf coast ports. And Ron said the company can also leverage its pool of some 2.3 million truck drivers who have downloaded its smartphone app, targeting them with freight hauling opportunities in the affected regions by pricing those loads “appropriately” through its surge-pricing model.
“If this [strike] continues a month, we will see severe disruptions,” Ron said. “So we can offer them alternatives. We say, if one door is closed, we can open another door? But even with that, there are no magic solutions.”
Keep ReadingShow less
Flying Ship CEO Bill Peterson poses with a model of his unmanned ground-effect maritime cargo craft.
Perfect Planner, a cloud-based platform designed to streamline the material planning and replenishment process, and Flying Ship, an unmanned ground-effect maritime cargo craft, took home the second annual “3 V’s of Supply Chain Innovation Awards” tonight at the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) annual EDGE Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
This awards contest is hosted by Supply Chain Xchange and 3 V’s framework creator and supply chain visionary Art Mesher. It serves to recognize those companies that have created technology or automation solutions that exemplify Mesher’s 3 V’s framework of “embracing variability, harnessing visibility, and competing with velocity.”
Business Innovation Award
Art Mesher (left), creator of the 3 V's Framework, and Rick Blasgen (right), former CSCMP President and CEO, present Thomas Beil (center), CEO of Perfect Planner, with the 3 V's Business Innovation Award.
Susan Lacefield
Perfect Planner won the 3 V’s Business Innovation Award for its software solution that uses artificial intelligence to automatically generate daily "to-do lists" for material planners/buyers. All the “to-do’s” are ranked in order of criticality. The solution also uses advanced analytics to understand and address inventory shortages and surpluses.
The two other finalists for the Business Innovation Award were AutoScheduler AI, a predictive warehouse optimization platform, and Davinci Micro Fulfillment, which provides a micro fulfillment service out of a network for small distribution centers across the United States.
Best Overall Startup Award
Flying Ship was awarded the Best Overall Startup Award. The company has designed an unmanned flying ground-effect maritime vessel. Although the Flying Ship looks like a small aircraft or large drone, it is classified as a maritime vessel because it does not leave the air cushion over the waves, similar to a hovercraft.
According to Flying Ship CEO Bill Peterson, the craft is 75% less expensive than a traditional aircraft and “faster than anything on water.” The prototype has a wingspan of 6.5 feet and can be scaled up to deliver 10,000 pounds of freight to “anywhere with a coastline” using autonomous systems.
The other startup finalist included Arkestro, a predictive procurement orchestration solution, and Provision AI, an optimized replenishment and transportation scheduling solution.
I’m repeatedly asked, which companies use their supply chain networks as their anchor of corporate competitiveness, embracing variability, harnessing visibility, and competing with velocity?
The top supply chain networks I admire demonstrate a clear “competitive moat” with their supply chain networks and have a market-based strategic advantage. While I somewhat appreciate the historical answers to the question, “Who are your top supply chains?”¾the answers to this question tend to be based on the tactical views of balanced scorecards, return on equity or assets, and how supply chains impact business performance. However, my top supply chains are above that fray.
I am a true believer that strategy is very different from tactics. So, I put a different lens on the question. My top supply chains are my industry “icons”: Intelligently Curated Orchestration Networks. Companies that see their supply chain networks as strategic assets embrace variability, harness visibility, and compete with velocity by deliberately curating their supply chain network.
The supply chains I admire use their supply chains not just as logistical tools but as strategic weapons, transforming them into powerful engines of market-based advantage to rise above the competition. These companies Intelligently Curate and Orchestrate their Network.
What supply chains truly stand out?
Which companies have redefined the role of supply chains, turning complexity into opportunity and positioning themselves as leaders in the face of uncertainty? Three companies that are using their supply chain networks as an anchor of corporate competitiveness are Banner Engineering, Tracegains, and Altana.
Banner Engineering
At the heart of Banner's success is its ability to embrace variability by harnessing the visibility of their customer's wants and needs and a deep understanding of their suppliers' capacities and capabilities. This insight allows them to embrace variability by serving multiple industries with thousands of different products at an unmatched velocity. Banner doesn't merely adapt to change; it thrives on it. Each year, they introduce over 30 new products, consistently creating solutions that customers love.
Minneapolis-based Banner Engineering, founded in 1966, has emerged as a leading designer and manufacturer of industrial automation products. With a portfolio of more than 10,000 products, Banner serves multiple industries, including automotive, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, packaging, electronics, materials handling, and logistics. Their extensive range includes award-winning sensors, wireless systems, machine safety equipment, indication devices, and LED lighting.
Banner's supply chain is not viewed as a cost center but as a strategic advantage. By leveraging a network of 5,000 engineers and support personnel, Banner has built a 360-degree view of its ecosystem. This finely tuned machine allows them to recombine ideas, technologies, and processes while continuously delivering value. It's this interconnectedness—between customer needs and supplier capabilities—that enables Banner to stay ahead of the competition, not just today but in the uncertain future that lies ahead.
The company's engineering prowess is a key factor in its success. Banner designs and engineers products that create a preferred customer lifecycle experience. Their ability to combine and recombine with speed, quality, consistency, and support is unparalleled. Design engineering and orchestrating the supply chain have become Banner's competitive advantage.
Banner's approach to innovation is about velocity—the ability to accelerate innovation, design new solutions, and respond to customer needs at a speed unmatched by their competitors. This is the secret of supply chain mastery. It's not just about being fast or efficient; it's about seeing the interconnections and using that visibility to continuously create new products and services with velocity.
Banner's global impact is significant, with operations on five continents and a worldwide team of over 5,500 employees and partners. In fact, a Banner product is installed somewhere in the world every two seconds. The company's commitment to personalized service and attentive support, offering both face-to-face and virtual interaction with customers, has helped them solve tough applications and advance manufacturing processes globally.
Banner Engineering's success stems from its ability to embrace variability, harness visibility, and compete on velocity. By leveraging their engineering knowledge and relationships with customers and suppliers, Banner continues to innovate and provide cutting-edge automation solutions for manufacturers worldwide.
TraceGains
TraceGains' success can be directly tied to empowering manufacturers to embrace variability through their massive catalog, which allows them to rapidly increase the velocity of product introduction and their ability to harness visibility and embrace variability, enabling a high-velocity "ingredients to product" supply chain. The company has positioned itself as a de facto standardizer of processes and methods for sourcing, building trust that allows its ecosystem to rapidly source, assemble, and reassemble ingredients-based products with unmatched velocity, quality, and process assurances.
Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Westminster, Colorado, TraceGains has emerged as a pioneering force in the food and beverage industry. The company's innovative platform provides a 360-degree view of a hyperspecialized ecosystem, connecting ingredients manufacturers with consumer product manufacturers across a vast network of 75,000+ supplier locations and 525,000+ ingredients/items.
TraceGains' supply chain network serves as both a graph and an intersection point, mapping suppliers against product requirements, quality credentials, and manufacturer pedigree requirements. This comprehensive view forms the foundation of the company's competitive moat, providing unparalleled insights and capabilities to its clients.
The power of TraceGains' platform is exemplified by its approach to ingredient taxonomy. For instance, an ingredient as seemingly simple as garlic is meticulously categorized within their network, from raw and organic to processed, chopped, and packaged in specific container sizes. This granular level of detail enables precise matching and sourcing capabilities.
TraceGains' intelligent network continuously monitors global events through “horizon scanning,” tracking adverse events, import refusals, and recalls. This real-time intelligence allows customers to remain informed about issues relevant to their specific ingredient needs, avoiding unnecessary concerns about unrelated incidents.
A key strength of TraceGains lies in its commitment to standardization and curation. Working closely with large customer advisory groups, the company has developed standardized data formats for numerous forms and data types, including allergens, nutrition, sustainability, and supplier and item risk assessments. This standardization significantly reduces friction in the supply chain, as suppliers can enter data once in a standardized format, which then automatically propagates to all their customers on the network.
TraceGains rapidly accelerates the velocity its customers can source, assemble, and reassemble its products. By leveraging artificial intelligence and standardizing data across its network, TraceGains enables manufacturers to source, assemble, and reassemble products with unprecedented speed and precision. The company's approach transforms potential chaos into order, using the power of its supply chain network to anticipate disruptions and act proactively.
Their supply chain’s main strength? Turning chaos into order. TraceGains has turned variability into its greatest strength, enabling a supply chain that is as agile as it is reliable and capable of meeting the unique demands of each customer while sourcing from the most appropriate suppliers with the highest fidelity at velocity.
Altana
Altana enables its customers through its supply chain network to embrace variability by providing a digital, dynamic, universal global supply chain map. By harnessing visibility through its federation, Altana allows for the standardization of multi-party workflows, enabling companies to combine, recombine, monitor, and surveil their supply chain at high velocity.
Founded in 2018 and headquartered in New York City, Altana has emerged as a force in supply chain network management by operating on an even larger scale, connecting governments, logistics providers, and businesses around the globe through a federated system of supply chain intelligence, offering unprecedented visibility and insights into global value chains.
Central to Altana's innovation is its proprietary "federated learning" architecture. Unlike traditional centralized data models, Altana has pioneered a decentralized, "hub-and-spoke" approach. This revolutionary design allows customers to share intelligence without ever exposing their underlying data, thereby maintaining data sovereignty, privacy, and security for all participants in the network.
The Altana “knowledge graph” is a testament to the power of this approach. It now comprises more than 2.8 billion shipments, tracking over 500 million companies and 850 million facilities down to the part-site level, with more than 125 million distinct facility-to-facility relationships. This vast network creates a common operating picture of the world's interconnected supply chains, spanning across governments, logistics providers, financial services companies, and other associated service providers.
Altana's Value Chain Management System enables real-time visibility into supply chains that cross borders and industries. For instance, a top global retailer uses Altana to understand potential upstream exposure to forced labor in its value chains, ensuring compliance with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. Simultaneously, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) uses the same system to enforce this law, while logistics giants like Maersk utilize it to model global value chains for the shipments they handle.
This interconnected ecosystem allows for unprecedented coordination and streamlining of compliance and enforcement activities. Parties that would otherwise be unable to share data due to fragmentation, silos, and interoperability issues can now view the same network relationships, remediate compliance exposures, and act collaboratively to facilitate trusted trade and avoid disruptions at borders.
The impact of Altana's innovation extends far beyond individual companies. By creating a shared source of truth for global supply chains, Altana is helping to recalibrate and rebuild secure and trusted supply chains on a global scale. This approach aligns with key principles of supply chain network competitiveness: embrace variability, harness visibility, and compete with velocity.
My Industry ICONS
My industry ICONS have turned their supply chain networks into competitive weapons. They’ve learned that variability is not a hindrance but a source of strategic advantage. Through their supply chain networks, they enable their customers to embrace variability, harness visibility, and compete on velocity, which is what sets them apart. Like a finely organized complex adaptive system, they have curated and cultivated their hyperspecialized networks to achieve something competitively differentiated.
Banner Engineering, TraceGains, and Altana use their supply chain networks and 360-degree view to a strategic advantage. Their relationships and knowledge of their federations' capability and capacity define their strategic positions, and their ability to harness surveillance and enable rapid recombinant behavior creates their moats.
The companies that will dominate the future understand that success is not just about making the right tactical decisions on a day-to-day basis; it’s about building the infrastructure that allows you to evolve and adapt to tomorrow’s challenges. Banner Engineering, TraceGains, and Altana are not just companies—they are supply chain ICONs. Shining examples of what can be achieved when you embrace variability, harness visibility, and compete on velocity.