2013 Readers' Choice: Supply Chain Planning

CGT’s readers rank the top six technology companies that provide a suite of software or point solution for supply chain planning, including demand forecasting, inventory optimization, etc.

Download the full Supply Chain Planning Report

Forever in flux, this list now includes six companies rather than just five in 2012. In a small, consolidated market, each serves a very different, but useful role in the evolution of the supply chain responsiveness. Supply Chain Insights Founder Lora Cecere analyzes this ever-evolving category.


What is your reaction to the Top 6 list for this category as determined by CGT’s readers?

Cecere: This is an expected outcome. While the ERP solutions of SAP, Oracle and Infor have appealed to the IT buyer, Logility and Terra Technology have made the list by focusing on ease of use for the line of business provider. Both of these vendors have focused on superior service.


How has supply chain planning technology evolved over the last 10 years?

Cecere: In the last 10 years, we have been through three generations of technology providers. The first wave was the stand alone best-of-breed provider using deterministic optimization, the second is extended ERP, and the third is the evolution of deeper predictive analytics to solve new problems. We see examples of all three types of system providers on the list. The shift has occurred in buying behavior — from one based myopically on “integration” to one based on the depth of analytics.

Another shift that is happening is a focus on the “effective usage” of the technologies. Leaders need to focus on the training and re-skilling of planners to take advantage of the tools. We have to redesign organizations to give planners time to plan, and the focus needs to be on the lifecycle or usage of the application.


What will the next generation of supply chain planning tools look like?

Cecere: The next generation of technologies will include greater depth in solution collaboration, workflow and pattern recognition. The market is ready for the next generation of best-of-breed providers with industry-specific solutions that will be cloud-based and designed from the outside in. Market consolidation slowed growth in this market. As more solutions are aggregated into cloud-based solutions, this will be less of an obstacle. Then, online benchmarking and real-time performance become new possibilities.

BREAK OUT FAVORITES


Customer Experience Leader: JDA Software Group

“Our space methodology paired with JDA Planogram Generator optimizes days of supply and increases inventory turns on an item-by-item basis, which results in a reduction in excess inventory and a boost in cash flow for the retailer.”
— John Williams, Director, Category Management, Dr Pepper Snapple Group



SMB Market Leader: Oracle

“Oracle’s value chain planning solution (VCP) is rich in depth and breadth. It stacks up with any other software we evaluated. Oracle’s VCP solution includes a broad range of features and modules, which allow the user to install what is needed and then add more as their business grows.”
— Bob Ashford, VP IT & SIOP, Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA