Schneider Electric identifies ways CIOs can make supply chains more intelligent

As enterprises, worldwide continue, to recover from the impact of COVID-19, business leaders are faced with the ongoing challenge of bringing operations back to pre-pandemic levels, and it starts with technology.

Chief information officers (CIOs) have become integral leaders in businesses’ recuperation efforts; implementing and utilising technology in both company strategy and daily operations such as supply chains, Nmor Morris, Enterprise Account Manager, Secure Power at Schneider Electric has said.

In an opinion piece titled, “How CIOs can make their Supply Chains more Intelligent with Industrial Edge”, Nmor said that a range of technology solutions, such as edge computing, micro data center, and several others as offered by Schneider Electric, have the potential to build smarter and better operational backbone. At the end, the supply chain has a lot to gain.

According to him, CIOs must strike a balance between managing IT systems and services across enterprises, while simultaneously shaping and driving a company’s approach to digital transformation.

To meet these demands, Nmor said that CIOs, in their efforts to modernise supply chains, must focus on these three actions: Ensure your company’s supply chain is being managed smarter and better; Focus on data crunching at the edge; and Strike a balance – smarter solutions go with training.

To build and implement an intelligent supply chain, he said it is crucial to leverage the newest technology to optimise its parts and the sum thereof. Nmor noted that an intelligent, technology-driven supply chain will provide companies with the ability to: collect data and develop insights to save on costs, increase profitability, accelerate speed to customers, and get ahead of the competition.

“The reality is, as supply chains continue to evolve, becoming more connected, dynamic, and expanded, it requires the solutions to automate certain processes by adding intelligence, guidance, and sensory awareness, allowing it to operate independently from humans.

“In fact, analyst firm, Gartner predicts 75 percent of enterprise data will be created and processed at the edge by 2025.  It’s a tremendous number and makes a solid case for the industrial edge and its ability to become a vital cog in the supply chain machine,” he said.

On data crunching at the edge, Nmor said that applications such as asset management need to, in real-time, monitor processes and data performance.

Additionally, he said richer insights are needed from business systems data combined with operating data from staff working on the plant floor.

“Edge ecosystems can transform operations by allowing decision making close to the source of information. In turn, it provides organisations with almost immediate insights into data analysis, communications, and storage which allow for improved workflow, data capacity distribution and streamlined responses,” Nmor said.

On striking a balance, Nmor said that as powerful as technology is, company-wide buy-in is the only way to achieve optimal efficiency and successful adoption.

“To ensure a seamless transition to the newest technology, companies must start from the top and work all the way down to the goals of key individuals.

“Make sure to showcase the capabilities and benefits of the technology you’re introducing. For example, if a company is demonstrating the industrial edge, it should highlight the acceleration of high-quality edge computing and the ability to modernise responses to stakeholders in real-time,” he added.