Why Your Supply Chain Strategy Needs a Control Tower

If you cannot see what's happening, if you can’t rely on intelligent insights, you won't know what to do. Supply chain managers everywhere understand this all too well. Without visibility into the supply chain, managing it is like shooting in the dark. Addressing operational risks, dealing with regulatory challenges, managing geopolitical complexity and the occasional unprecedented event like a pandemic or a war will become much harder. Fortunately, a cloud-based solutions like a control tower software can come to your rescue and help prevent any disruption!

What is control tower software?

According to Gartner, a control tower is "created by combining people, process, data, organization and technology to improve visibility, control and decision making."

A Control tower software provides end-to-end visibility into the supply chain. It is a capability you integrate into your current supply chain management platform/tool.

Imagine being able to see what's going on at your suppliers' factories, in your warehouses and stores, and how logistics, shipping and last-mile deliveries are happening. A smart control tower encompasses functions and business partners, bringing to light issues that remained hidden when you had limited visibility into your supply chain.

Smart control towers leverage artificial intelligence, machine learning and other advanced technologies to provide real-time insights, eliminate manual processes and break down data siloes. They enable collaboration across trading associates and aid rapid decision-making. External supply chain partners, organizational staff and management are all served by this software.

What do you gain from using control tower software?

There are many reasons why companies looking to improve their supply chain management and increase their margins are considering control tower solutions. Here are the key factors driving this decision:

Real-time tracking

A control tower connects all supply chain partners so they can share information and collaborate in real-time.

Resolve disruptions

Exception management and early warning alerts allow you to proactively turn your attention to disruptions before they can disturb your business.

Improve service time

More visibility and control enable decision-makers to iron out issues hampering productivity or accuracy, for better service levels, such as on-time deliveries and shorter cycle times.

Leverage predictive analytics

Control towers that use AI and Machine Learning (including IoT to collect data) provide real-time actionable insights to respond rapidly to upstream and downstream events.

Applications of control towers

From inventory management, transport management and freight settlement to order fulfillment, supply assurance and deviation management, control towers have multiple applications. Supply assurance towers help ensure adequate supply availability while inventory control towers help prevent stockouts and shortages. In addition, the solution assists in increasing on-time shipments, makes billing management more accurate and efficient, and reduces costs to serve the customer.

Control towers are especially useful if you have a complex supply chain. But given its numerous applications and benefits, it can add value to any supply chain strategy.