Manufacturing Global discovers what is driving the need for smarter supply chains and the value it can provide the manufacturing industry
SMART MANUFACTURING
THE GROWING SHIFT TO SMARTER SUPPLY CHAINS
Manufacturing Global discovers what is driving the need for smarter supply chains and the value it can provide the manufacturing industry
WRITTEN BY : GEORGIA WILSON Mark Hughes , Vice President ( VP ) of Epicor ( UK & I )
Being just one part of many that forms the complexity that is a supply chain , manufacturing can be as simple as buying a small amount of raw materials to convert into a product , or it can be a series of components and processes that are interconnected .
Mark Hughes , Vice President ( VP ) of Epicor ( UK & I ) explains that “ at the heart of it , a smart supply chain is simply one that is as efficient as possible . This means constantly reviewing and understanding where any bottlenecks may exist in your supply chain and working to strengthen the weakest links in order to minimise any potential supply chain shocks . You either eliminate the challenge , or move it elsewhere , further up or down the supply chain as required , to make sure you deliver the end result efficiently .”
However , when it comes to being the ‘ smartest ’ supply chain , “ this takes efficiency one step further and is self-organising and self-optimising ,” adds Hughes . “ For example , it will only introduce components when they ’ re required — controlling the likes of inventory and storage , and prevent the emergence of any bottlenecks by fine tuning the pacing of each stage . In order to achieve this , it ’ s important to have maximum visibility throughout the whole supply chain — which is where technology can play a beneficial role .” manufacturingglobal . com 47