What is Supply Chain Visibility and Why Does It Matter?

Navigating the Supply Chain Landscape: The Crucial Role of Visibility

In the complex realm of supply chain management, the concept of supply chain visibility has emerged as a game-changer. It refers to the ability to track goods and products in transit, providing a comprehensive view of inventory and activities. This transparency not only enhances customer service and cost controls but also fortifies the supply chain against disruptions, ultimately reducing risk. The primary goal of supply chain visibility is to gain advanced insights into the intricacies of how the supply chain operates, all while minimizing risks. By coupling these insights with data analytics, businesses can optimize their supply chain for maximum efficiency.

Challenges in achieving supply chain visibility include sharing information across different tiers, potential disruptions in the supply chain, and effectively combing through relevant data. Overcoming these challenges is crucial for businesses seeking to harness the benefits of enhanced visibility. One significant solution to these challenges lies in technology adoption. Advanced tools like Navisphere Vision offer real-time global visibility across all modes and regions in a single platform, addressing the need for seamless information sharing and providing analytics for better decision-making.

The key benefits of improved supply chain visibility are manifold. It allows businesses to mitigate disruptions, enhance agility, increase speed, meet customer demands, and make data-driven decisions. This holistic approach leads to improved workflow, increased profits, and a reduction in costs. To achieve better supply chain visibility, businesses should invest in advanced technology, focus on improving the capabilities of all tiers within the supply chain, and prioritize workflow optimization. By empowering employees to be versatile and leveraging technological advancements, businesses can navigate the supply chain landscape with confidence, making informed decisions at a rapid pace while ensuring a smooth and efficient operation.

Navigating Supply Chains in the Digital Era: A Systematic Exploration of IoT Impact on Supply Chain Visibility

The advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the evolution of Industry 4.0 have ushered in a transformative era for supply chains (SCs), giving rise to the concept of Supply 4.0. This paradigm shift, termed as Supply 4.0, encapsulates the integration of SCs with IoT and big data, revolutionizing the way businesses manage their operations. Supply 4.0 aims to enhance efficiency, flexibility, and visibility through the effective integration of personnel, processes, equipment, and products. Supply 4.0, often coined as the digitization of SCs, emphasizes the critical role of visibility. Visibility, in the context of SCs, refers to the ability to track a product from manufacturing to consumption, underpinned by the capturing of timely instances of actors' location, identity, and status. Industry 4.0, driven by cyber-physical systems (CPSs), has propelled SCs towards agility, efficiency, and customer-centricity. The integration of SCs with IoT, referred to as Supply 4.0, has emerged as a vital factor in improving industrial performance, enabling companies to cope with dynamic product requirements.

The paper systematically explores the impact of IoT on supply chain visibility through a comprehensive literature review. It underscores the interplay between IoT, Industry 4.0, and SCs, shedding light on the integration of digital technologies in reshaping SC operations. The analysis reveals the significance of IoT in providing reliable, up-to-date data to all SC stakeholders, fostering transparency, and enabling autonomous coordination between entities.

While highlighting the theoretical foundations of IoT's impact on SC visibility, the study also identifies gaps in current research. It emphasizes the need for practical solutions for implementing Supply 4.0, providing insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with achieving SC visibility. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the relationships and patterns within the literature, paving the way for future research and the practical implementation of IoT in the context of SC visibility.

Revolutionizing Supply Chains through Industry 4.0 Integration: The concept of Supply 4.0 has emerged as a pivotal bridge between Industry 4.0 and traditional supply chains, signifying the transformative impact of Industry 4.0 on supply chain dynamics. It serves as a catalyst for disruptive changes within conventional supply chains, opening avenues for extensive academic research and contributions. Key technologies associated with Industry 4.0, such as Big Data analytics, robotics, cloud computing, cyber-physical systems, augmented reality, RFID, M2M, and sensor technologies, play a central role in shaping Supply 4.0. These technologies offer implications across various business domains, including new product development, operations, organizational management, and business models. The integration of Industry 4.0 technologies brings about substantial alterations in supply chain operations, as highlighted in Table 6. Notably, supply 4.0 holds the potential to provide a competitive advantage by enhancing product availability, reducing costs, and increasing market share, as articulated by Swanson. The disruptive nature of Supply 4.0 underscores its significance in reshaping traditional supply chains and calls for in-depth exploration and understanding through academic research.

Transforming Healthcare Supply Chains: A Call for Transparency and Regulatory Adaptation

In the quest for effective pandemic response, transparency and visibility in healthcare supply chains emerge as critical prerequisites for success. The traditional approach of hospitals hoarding materials is deemed unsustainable, necessitating regulatory changes. Federal contracting guidelines must undergo significant revisions to empower Data Management and Prevention teams within a proposed governance model. This adjustment allows teams to establish agreements with vetted suppliers, ensuring their capacity to replenish the strategic national stockpile (SNS). The strategic management of the SNS requires on-site management to facilitate inventory turnover, mitigate the risk of large lot buying, and prevent simultaneous expiration of substantial stockpile contents. These changes demand a shift in capabilities, emphasizing collaboration with skilled supply management professionals well-versed in category management, strategic sourcing, contracting, specifications, statements of work, supply market research, and inventory management.

The supply chain spectrum model proposed in this context is extendable to various supplies and services influencing global responses to not only COVID-19 but other common requirements. Recognizing the potential misrepresentation, misunderstanding, and miscommunication of stock levels and capacity data, this early work establishes an ontology to comprehend conflicting information during times of national concern.

The nuanced understanding presented here dispels the notion that conflicting information solely arises from ineptitude, fraud, or opportunistic actions. Instead, it acknowledges a complex interplay of factors and calls for further research to discern the types of supply chain screens and spectral differences. While the framework may not be exhaustive, it provides a foundational structure for constructing a national pandemic response policy, aiming to clear the blurred vision surrounding healthcare supply chains.