Static spreadsheets are the enemy of advancement in the global supply chain.
While spreadsheets have been the traditional approach to supply chain reporting, these tools are not optimal for the modern-day manufacturer. Static spreadsheets are not equipped to handle the high complexity of global supply chains. If your team is relying solely on spreadsheets you are setting your team up for failure and are increasing your supply chain risk.
The National Association of Manufacturers reported that “manufacturers have shown incredible resilience through multiple crises, but the challenges of inflation, supply chain strains, and the workforce shortage are taking a toll.” The only consistent thing about the world is that it is changing, and it’s time for manufacturers to change with it.
The Resistance to Change
The current weekly cycle of exporting ERP data and manipulating it in Excel to help buyers prioritize their efforts cannot keep up with the rate of change and buyers continue to slip further and further behind. Agile supply chain strategies cannot be executed to reduce shortages, delayed shipments, and excess inventory through stale reports.
So why are many manufacturers so resistant to change? What is holding them back from making smart business decisions that would lead them to achieve their goals? A big factor for many business leaders is a fear of the unknown. Transitioning supply chain operations to digital solutions may seem like a big change for those who have been using legacy processes like spreadsheets their whole career. Many believe that if it has worked this long it is good enough, however, doing nothing can be detrimental because so many opportunities are missed and bottlenecks are overlooked.
Is Moving Away from Spreadsheets Really Necessary to Minimize Supply Chain Risk?
With increased complexity paired with scarcer resources, production planners have their fair share of work cut out for them already, why waste their time with mundane, outdated reporting?
Stand-alone reports require manual entries, and personnel to update information as they see fit. This means everyone—buyers, suppliers, production planners—are working in circles with outdated information and unclear, ever changing priorities.
The Time to Adopt a Digital Transformation Strategy is Now.
There has never been a better time to get ahead. Many global manufacturers are beginning to utilize advanced supply chain risk management technology to optimize their business operations. There is no better time than the present to get ahead of the competition. Digital solution adoption will soon become the industry standard for building sustainable supply chain resilience.
There are numerous advantages of leveraging inventory execution and optimization technology, which include but are not limited to:
Enhanced Demand-to-Delivery Visibility
Solutions like LeanDNA can help manufacturers understand all issues that have an impact on order completion or inventory excess across planners, buyers, and suppliers.
Inventory & Workflow Optimization
Prioritize the impact actions have on an overall plan and how your team can respond agilely to unforeseen changes to achieve inventory optimization.
Prioritizing Actions to Maximize Results
Leveraging a centralized solution to synchronize your suppliers and sites with your strategy to create clear priorities that help you meet operational goals.
DITCH THE SPREADSHEETS AND GAIN A COMPETITIVE EDGE WITH LEANDNA
LeanDNA's automated reporting provides readily available analytics that allow procurement teams to focus on higher valued tasks rather than mundane spreadsheet creation. Reports are refreshed daily in the platform to surface the most up to analytics for the ever-changing supply chain needs. Sites, systems, and suppliers are able to work in sync with a centralized access point for knowledge sharing, communication, and innovation.
