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Supply Chain Resilience: Data to Actionable Insights

Debbie Altham

Dec 1 2020

3 min read

This blog’s content was sourced from a webinar recorded on September 23, 2020 at 2PM ET/ 11AM PT with Presenters Kristin Amenson, Debbie Altham and Jeremy Centner, in partnership with Sikich LLP and Microsoft.

With everything we have discussed regarding supply chain resilience, it’s all been about the data. We’ve talked about data coming from the products with internet of things (IoT) as well as new and interesting data about our customers, our people and our employees, and also new data coming from our shop floors, such as from connected equipment.

In terms of being able to build resilience in the organization, it is about bringing that data all into one system, because if you tweak one system, something else might change. You need that overarching view of the information that’s coming from your systems, being able to apply intelligence, whether it be simple Power BI reports all the way through to more sophisticated technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning.

What’s the feedback loop telling you about the impacts that may be changing a sales cycle, changing the way you deal with customers, or changing the way you deal with products? All of this intelligence enables you to be able to make far, clearer business decisions, because with all of the data coming in on a real-time basis, you can actually start seeing the impacts of those decisions you make almost immediately. In terms of resilience, it lands back in the data. If you’ve got all the data, if you closed all the gaps, it’s all together, and then you can start using that digital feedback loop to inform you to make better business decisions.

What does this look like in terms of products? Microsoft is a partner-driven organization and relies very heavily on partners like Sikich to take the applications to the last mile and deploy them in a vertical industry where the partners are expected to bring that extra level of understanding of that customer’s vertical industry. But building behind that is, of course, these very strong products, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft 365, so all of our productivity tools here, including power platforms like Power BI.

Behind that, we’ve got the data repositories. This is where all our data resides, and this is the tool that Microsoft brings to back up the rest of the supply chain. Then at the bottom of this, supporting it all is the secure Azure cloud platform, which gives that robust security that organizations and manufacturers are needing.

Have any questions about how Microsoft Dynamics 365 can improve your supply chain resilience? Please contact us at any time!

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About the Author

Debbie Altham

The manufacturing industry is speeding its way into the age of digital, bringing fantastic new opportunities along with serious new risks. With over 30 years of experience in technology, in both client and vendor roles, Debbie Altham offers industry leaders a clear perspective on how to navigate the road towards digital transformation; a perspective that marries strategic vision with a very clear value compass. Helping clients realize the promise of business application technology has been a primary career objective. As an industry senior director, Debbie focuses on manufacturing and services industries. With Debbie running point, the team at Sikich can help manufacturers meet their most pressing business technology needs, drawing from a wide portfolio of industry tailored products and services.