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Supply chain management

What is supply chain management?

Can you see your Scope 3?

Can you see and act on emissions across all supplier tiers? You can now. Accenture's research and new tools to shed light on Scope 3.

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Supply chain disruption

Supply chain networks of the future must have resilience and sustainability at their heart.

Supply chain control tower - from visibility to value

A use-case-driven Supply Chain Control Tower moves companies beyond improved visibility to increase enterprise value.

How the cloud boosts supply chain innovation

The role of cloud computing in supply chain transformation, helping leaders build resilience & ensure responsible operations.

The benefits of supply chain visibility

How different types of visibility can help build resilient supply chain networks.

How sustainable supply chains can unlock net zero emissions

Supply chains are now a major part of the CEO's environmental focus to unlock net zero emissions.

The future digital supply chain

Supply chain is now a principal driver of business growth.

Visibility to build supply networks for change

Resilient supply chain

Technology Vision 2022: For supply chain networks

Supply chain control tower - from visibility to value

A use-case-driven, flexibly architected Supply Chain Control Tower moves...

Cloud-based supply chain transformation

We outline the key role of cloud computing in supply chain transformation...

The metaverse will benefit supply chain networks

Are supply chains ready to harness the power of the metaverse? Accenture’s...

Do you have the full picture of supply chain resilience?

Accenture shares how different types of visibility can help build resilient supply...

Supply chain is key to winning climate change fight

Accenture CEO study finds supply chains are now a major part of the CEO’s...

Skills ontology: Building the future supply chain workforce

Putting people first as we buuld the supply chain of the future.

Routing to resilient and sustainable supply chain

Accenture helped a technology company create a more resilient and sustainable supply chain allowing it to respond in almost real-time to disruptions.

The basic components of supply chain management

This shift has a knock-on impact on the seven core components of supply chain management, and the skills that each requires.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Scaling AI in the supply chain

A look at current supply chain sub-disciplines

Engineering

Engineering drives the ideation, design and development of a new product or service. In the future, AI and cloud technologies will help engineers innovate using new capabilities, automate deployment and testing for faster product launches, and will connect with the business to optimize functions.

Planning

Today’s planners determine how to get the right product or service at the right place and time to meet demand. Tomorrow, algorithms will make most day-to-day planning decisions. A digital twin can optimize outcomes based on different variables. Data and AI will provide insights into what’s happening in the supply chain to react efficiently.

Sourcing & procurement

In order to acquire the goods and services for finished products, procurement teams will need entrepreneurial, collaborative and analytical skills to build relationships with ecosystem partners to select supplies that provide transparency into supply sources and practices. They’ll also need to use digital technologies to solve problems.

Inbound logistics

AI and cloud technologies will transform logistics to provide real-time visibility and optimize decision-making for more efficient movement of raw or finished goods from supplier to factory, warehouse or store.

Manufacturing

Factory managers will have a wealth of information from advanced AI and algorithms, coupled with sensors across manufacturing facilities. They’ll need to be extremely adept at using this data to make the right decisions. Read more: case study.

Fulfillment & delivery

AI and cloud technologies will allow companies to offer true omnichannel fulfillment of orders to customers. This will enable customers to buy anytime, anywhere, with dynamic delivery options.

Service management

Rather than being reactive in supplying parts and personnel, companies will have AI and cloud technologies that enable them to make real-time decisions about product support, decrease resolution times and improve service performance and profitability.

Effective supply chain management strategies

New technology means big changes to existing supply chain roles

Sustainable supply chains

Companies that find new sources of value at the intersection of digital technologies and sustainability are 2.5x more likely to be among tomorrow’s strongest-performing businesses.

Related capabilities

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Supply Chain & Operations People of Change

Frequently asked questions