The Path to a Thinking Supply Chain

Digital transformation is poised to change the supply chain more profoundly than any other functional area and more dramatically than at any point in its history in terms of driving efficiency and resiliency to disruption. In the context of the challenges facing supply chains, both now and in the future, it becomes clear that the old ways of working will not suffice and that even best-in-class performance today is unlikely to be good enough in the future. It is the view of IDC that the supply chain must become a “thinking” supply chain, one that is intimately connected to all data sources, enabled with comprehensive and fast analytics, openly collaborative through cloud-based commerce networks, conscious of cyberthreats, and cognitively interwoven. According to IDC supply chain research, technology is emerging as a prime driver of change, particularly artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the Internet of Things (IoT).