Connected, integrated supply chain systems can provide brands and retailers with deeper insights on customer buying behavior to help them boost their operations, delivery and other logistics models; Jeff Moore, VP of Business Development at Blue Horseshoe shares more:
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Hi Jeff, tell us more about Blue Horseshoe Solutions and your role there?
Blue Horseshoe is a cloud enterprise and supply chain solutions firm. As the Vice President of Business Development, I am responsible for developing and implementing business engagement strategies and managing our partnership with Microsoft.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on the evolving supply chain and logistics segment and how new tech innovations here are changing the game in this segment?
COVID-19 unleashed unprecedented changes to consumer demand. Supplier shutdowns, shipment delays, product shortages, labor constraints and increased shipping demands are impacting how supply chains are evolving. The pandemic upended the just-in-time supply chain model and brought back the just-in-case model.
Businesses must meet the customer where they choose: curbside, in-store or at-home. This trend is becoming the norm and likely to evolve with changing consumer demands. Modern supply chains need to be resilient to meet these expectations. They must also be agile. Agility depends upon real market signals, which dictates a connected supply chain.
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Today, supply chain leaders are looking for solutions to create a truly connected supply chain that helps them collaborate and connect with internal and external systems. They’re looking for solutions that help them capture, manage and analyze data – all of which are the foundation of the digital supply chain.
Rapid digitization across industries and functions has led to a shift in how supply chains and logistics are managed. While this evolves, how do you see businesses and teams adapt with changing internal roles and hierarchies?
Supply chain leaders are re-evaluating what skill set they need to build a more resilient supply chain. Top of mind is data and analytics. Executives are filling critical roles that focus on how they can help better manage their supply chain operations and achieve strategic goals.
Tools such as AI, IoT and blockchain generate a lot of press and buzz. The uninitiated can then rush in to take advantage of the latest tool, only to be disappointed in the results. Developing roles and teams that can apply analytics tools to solve business issues require leadership focus.
The tools will continue to evolve, making technology easier to deploy, but teams and executives must have a clearly defined business improvement objective similar to all transformation projects.
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Can you talk about a few leading brands that you’ve seen use tech innovations here to drive their overall CX and customer success ratio?
A few businesses come to mind.
Peet’s Coffee is embracing digital transformation and creating a more resilient supply chain. They’re making this happen with a common data model and a tech stack that includes Microsoft Business Applications, the Power Platform and Azure, combined with the added capabilities provided through the Blue Horseshoe Supply Chain Cloud.
Regis Corporation is now using connected material handling equipment resulting in a 30% increase in overall capacity and throughput. They also saw a 10% outbound productivity gain through improved processes.
When retailer Lids came under new ownership, they took the opportunity to rethink their technology and embrace digital transformation. They started with Microsoft D365’s financial solution. Lids adds D365 Commerce and a modern point of sale, which improves the customer experience.
Can you comment on the need for businesses to further strengthen their digital formats to drive better logistics and supply chain management backed by analytics and data?
Digital formats within logistics and supply chain management are essential to successful operations, backed by analytics and data. By using supply chain data and other data sources, you can find insights and uncover patterns primed for improvement. Without the adoption of digital formats, businesses could be missing out on the range of benefits in improving supply chain efficiency through tools like AI.
A common data model enables applications to be more easily developed by reducing incompatibilities and eliminating or reducing the effort it takes to manipulate data. Microsoft has been executing this concept in its enterprise business applications. This accelerates their internal app development and enables an ecosystem of independent software vendors to provide deep industry solutions.
How, according to you, will new technologies change the scope and future of supply chains and logistics?
Real-time connected supply chains provide on-demand information about where goods are in the value chain, and consumers and trading partners have come to expect a real-time answer when they ask about the availability or delivery of an item. I believe we will continue to see this trend become even more granular, whether over road, ocean, rail or air.
Consumers also want to know more about how their products were produced or grown and where they’ve been in the supply chain. Consumers want to know more and more information about what they are putting in their bodies when it comes to food and beverage. They want to trust what the packaging claims the product to be. Blockchain offers a solution for understanding product provenance and its journey to the consumer. This is already being pioneered by leaders such as Walmart, and its adoption will grow.
Automation trends will continue enabling more efficient fulfillment processes. Labor shortages have only accelerated this trend and the desire for more energy-efficient and planet-friendly operations such as dark warehouses. Autonomous vehicles which depend upon state-of-the-art AI will evolve to become a reality in the near future. Even though it seems this has been rapid development, I can remember being at CES in the late 90s watching autonomous demonstrations. There has been a tremendous amount of development in this technology.
Some last thoughts and takeaways before we wrap up?
Even after a year and a half of the onset of COVID-19, the impetus for change has never been greater, as supply chain issues continue today. This presents an excellent opportunity for supply chain transformation.
Store shelves continue to be sparse with not-so-temporary shortages. Customers continue to be upset with missed promised dates due to ships waiting on port access or a shortage of containers. Customers want products delivered to their home today, curbside tomorrow and return to a nearby store the day after tomorrow.
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Blue Horseshoe is a cloud enterprise and supply chain solutions firm based in Carmel, IN. Blue Horseshoe is an award-winning Microsoft Gold Partner with services including system design and implementation, business intelligence and optimization, and distribution design and material handling equipment for companies in the Food & Beverage, CPG, Distribution, Manufacturing, and Transportation industries.
Jeff Moore is a dynamic sales professional with more than 25 years of experience as a sales leader in the tech sector. He specializes in leading teams that focus on revenue growth and guiding complex B2B sales processes. He is currently the Vice President of Business Development at Blue Horseshoe Solutions, a global software and services firm specializing in supply chain and logistics. In addition to leading a global sales team, he also manages Blue Horseshoe’s Microsoft partnership.