5 Current Advancements Affecting Supply Chain Management

Demand forecasting software will help your company in many ways. There are many amazing technologies all around us including big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, robotic process automation, and the internet of things.

In a world where most things change constantly, business owners everywhere search for effective methods to handle these changes.

 Demand forecasting in the supply chain is an option many turn to. It can be hard to understand not only what consumer demand is going to be, but also how your company can meet that demand. Demand planning and forecasting give you the information you need to make plans to meet upcoming demand trends.

What is Demand Forecasting Software?

Demand forecasting software uses the latest technologies to produce forecasts of what your future market demand will look like. These forecasts can be tailored to the needs of your company. For example, the length of time that’s forecast can be adjusted to show more short- or long-term predictions of demand.

There are multiple benefits that your company can see when you choose to implement demand forecasting tools. Your management team will be able to make much more effective decisions. These decisions will be seen in your inventory management, labour schedules, manufacturing efforts, marketing strategies, product levels, as well as in more areas.

Supply chain software is always sure to keep up with improvements being made in technology. There are currently multiple advancements being made, and supply chain management is headed in the same direction. Some of these changes are regarding big data, robotic process automation, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things.

 

Big Data

Big data is all around us. It refers to a large amount of technology handled by a company on a day-to-day basis. When businesses make decisions, this data is heavily relied upon and analyzed. These companies collect data about their consumers using many methods. Some of these methods are by getting data from other companies, directly asking consumers for it, and tracking the habits and actions of their consumers.

Examples of big data include stock exchanges and social media sites.

 

Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

RPA causes the software to be programmed to automatically do some features without human interaction. This can be done across multiple applications and includes software robots that automatically perform tasks.

Examples of RPA include automated supply chain processes, data entry, predictive maintenance, and the creation of reports.

 

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is when data is available on-demand without direct user management. It’s used all around us, and it’s becoming more and more common. It’s a much more convenient method used to store data. Some examples of uses for the cloud are data storage, servers, databases, networking, and software.

A common example of cloud computing is the Google Cloud.

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI refers to when tasks that have traditionally been completed by humans are completed by technology. This concept can sound far-fetched, but it’s fairly common. AI can be used in speech recognition, visual perception, decision-making, language translation, and more.

Some examples of artificial intelligence are social media monitoring, self-driving cars, automated financial investing, and disease mapping.

 

The Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet of Things refers to a network of physical objects (things). These objects are embedded with technologies, like sensors, that allow them to connect with other devices and systems over the internet. When they connect, data can be shared.

There are many things that use the IoT to operate, and we use these items daily. Some examples are refrigerators, cars, lights, thermostats, irrigation systems, tractors, home security, activity trackers, as well as many more.

 

It’s necessary for supply chain management systems to stay up to date with changes made in technology. To ensure the best accessibility and visibility, demand forecasting in the supply chain must be as up to date as possible. The more transparency the better, and demand forecasting tools enhance transparency.

 

What to do to keep your company in line with technological times!

If you have a company, and if your company has any kind of inventory, you need demand forecasting software.

Demand planning and forecasting will strengthen your operations in ways you would’ve never expected. There are multiple options for demand forecasting software, and it’s important for you to find the best option for your specific needs.