| p>Software industry experts are predicting that | | | | that can do all the above and make sure they can |
| supply chain management software will generate a | | | | control inventory and suppliers, and supply chain |
| staggering £4billion of sales by 2010, which | | | | management software companies are more than |
| would make it one of the world's most widely bought | | | | happy to oblige. They are quick to adopt new |
| global business specialist applications. | | | | technologies in their quest for the perfect supply |
| Supply chain management software has proved | | | | chain management software and have naturally |
| extremely popular over the last 30 years with | | | | embraced the web in their designs. |
| businesses that operate in time and cost conscious | | | | Indeed, the internet acts as a superb connectivity |
| production and distribution environments. As with | | | | tool for supply chain management software. A whole |
| most cutting-edge technologies, supply chain | | | | suite of collaborative programs for the entire supply |
| management software functionality has undergone | | | | chain can be operated over the web, which impacts |
| exponential advances, especially in the last five years | | | | positively on forecasting and planning while providing |
| which have allowed it to keep pace with an | | | | a transparent view of the performance measures. |
| ever-changing business world. | | | | Today's advanced systems can bring together a |
| It is the adaptive nature of the software and its | | | | huge number of suppliers at the click of a mouse, |
| ability to drive successful businesses that will propel | | | | using XML web services and trading portals, and have |
| supply chain management software to the top of the | | | | certainly come a long way from the primitive EDI |
| software sales charts. At the outset, early systems | | | | systems of the 1970s. But, possibly the biggest |
| focused purely on transactions, but it wasn't until the | | | | difference between today's successful supply chain |
| recent advent of client server technology that supply | | | | management systems and their forerunners is the |
| chain management systems could be more easily | | | | impact they have in helping workers make decisions. |
| understood and accepted by users. | | | | That is the true value of any successful system, |
| Organisations are increasingly operating across a | | | | allowing the business to keep the supply chain in |
| number of time zones on different continents, and as | | | | perfectly efficient working order while providing many |
| well as the geographical and cultural challenges faced, | | | | opportunities to control increasingly diverse supplier |
| there is the added problem of multiple distribution | | | | relationships and inventory portfolios. For as long as |
| channels. With greater emphasis placed on | | | | there are companies operating in aggressively |
| empowerment of users through access to | | | | competitive markets, the future looks bright for sales |
| information, supply chain executives have added | | | | of supply chain management software. |
| pressure piled on them to ensure that they embrace | | | | Disclaimer: Matthew Pressman writes for a wide |
| globalisation, battle obsolescence and also to contain | | | | variety of commercial clients. This article is intended |
| costs, in addition to their day job! | | | | for information purposes only and readers should |
| The trials and tribulations of supply chain executives | | | | seek additional information before taking any actions |
| make them aggressive when demanding | | | | based on its content. |
| improvements to software. They want something | | | | |