The Brief – August 7 2019

Supply Chain Networks Revealed: Part One — What They Do

By Ann Grackin

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Solving the multi-party challenge is the essence of supply chain. Today, paradigms for how we operate and use technology are rapidly changing. We need to understand and leverage them now. Those are the issues central to the growing wave of interest in supply chain networks. Yet networks, what they can provide, and how they are different are little understood in spite of the current proliferation of writing about them. Understanding these differences is fundamental when evaluating technology if we are to make good choices. In this report series we explore supply chain networks and take a deeper dive into what they do and how they work. [ Read: Supply Chain Networks Revealed: Part One — What They Do ]

E2open’s Acquisition of Amber Road: A Milestone

Amber Road was the last remaining major independent Global Trade Management (GTM) solution provider. Its acquisition by E2open fills in a key missing piece for E2open’s suite. Thus, this acquisition represents an important landmark for both the company and the industry as a whole. [ Read: E2open’s Acquisition of Amber Road: A Milestone ]

Geospatial Intelligence: Part Three — Distribution Network Planning, Logistics and Route Optimization, and Supply Chain Risk Management

Geospatial intelligence is vital to successful distribution network planning, logistics/route optimization, and supply chain risk management. Optimizing a distribution network requires location-related data such as consumption patterns by location and drive times from DC locations. Route optimization requires accurate maps, vehicle locations, and traffic patterns. Supply Chain risk involves knowing the actual location of production and sources of supply and tracking relevant events around the world. [ Read: Geospatial Intelligence: Part Three ]