Collaboration And Engagement

Extended supply chain and the changing markets require an expansion of collaboration across the supply chain in order to succeed.  In addition, though, in order to increase the collaboration there must also be an increase in the engagement of partners across the entire market.  There can be no increase in collaboration without an equal, or greater, increase in the the level of engagement across the entire market.  The good news is that most collaborative partners recognize this requirement and are taking the steps necessary to increase the engagement of partners.  Collaboration and engagement are flip sides of the same coin and the continuing changes and most importantly the increased velocity of these changes require an increase the engagement and collaboration across the market.

Changes require a means and a framework for the market to support a method to sense and respond to the changes in a manner and time frame that allows the partners and the market to respond and incorporate means to adjust.  While it is critical to encourage and increase engagement and collaboration across the market this framework to support the methods to sense the changes is the key to the success of the partners and their reaction to changes in the market.  The resulting improvements and increases in partner engagement and with the engagement improvements resulting increases in collaboration will carry the partners forward in their abilities to respond to changes in the market.

While engagement provides a foundation for collaboration, the supply chain provides a foundation and framework for engagement in the market.  The role of the supply chain is critical to the foundation and the framework to support increased engagement and collaboration in the market.  What we see in this market is a demand for improvements in the efficiencies and the increase in options in the supply chain to support changes in the market and these changes result in increase flexibility and capabilities in the surrounding markets.  Consumer demands cannot be supported without changes in the supply chain and changes in the supply chain cannot be supported without increased engagement and collaboration.

It is very good news that partners across the extended supply chain must focus on engagement and collaboration in order to meet the changing demands of the market.  This change in focus is required to help to push this realization and acceptance across all of the extended partners and the market.  Many partners in the extended supply chain have been struggling to react and respond to changes in their practices in a silo created by their partners that does not prioritize engagement.  These silos must be smashed now in order to fully address priorities and changes demanded by the market and especially by consumers in the market.  This change requires a control tower concept now to coordinate and encourage the required engagement to support the expanded level of collaboration.

And now for the audience participation portion of the show…

ECommerce will have wide ranging impacts on both the retail and manufacturing sectors.  How can you focus these abilities to improve the consumer's experience?  Improving the consumer’s experience will require a re-evaluation of the sales channels, the manufacturing channels and practices and the supply chain channels and practices from the raw materials to the consumers’ homes.  In order to ensure and maintain success in this new reality you must harness the tools and capabilities in many new areas.  How can you support these continuously changing requirements?