OVERVIEW

Supply chain collaboration technology is a critical part in the actual execution of the collaborated decisions that have been made. Many companies have failed in the area of having the proper technology infrastructures and have minimized some of the potential benefits that a good technology architecture can offer. Although we have seen success with what we may define as "manual collaboration" efforts, the truth to the matter is that for us to take collaboration to scale as well as to much lower levels of detail, technology is necessary.

Supply chain collaboration technology requires certain components. Below are some examples of the technology that may be required for your collaborative efforts.

• Forecasting

  • Statistical-based forecasting engines for sales and order forecasting

  • Causal-based forecasting contributions

• Collaboration

  • Collaboration software that can compare two or more forecasts to each other to derive a single consensus-based forecast number

  • Allows for tolerances and alerts to be established as defined by the collaborative agreements and joint business plans

  • Provides for the adjustments to forecasts according to the collaborative agreements

  • Provides text-based communication linkage for trading partner collaboration to document reasons for forecast changes or adjustments

  • Generates the agreed to single forecast number

• Business-to-business (B2B) communication or linkage

  • Electronic data interchange (EDI)

    • 830 forecasts

    • 852 sales actuals and inventory levels

  • Extended machine language (XML)

    • Internet-based B2B communication

    • VICS CPFR standard-based models

• Replenishment

  • Automated replenishment systems used at the various levels of product consumption typically driven by forecasted days of supply and reorder point calculations as well...