Across enterprises and boardrooms, companies are looking for solutions that not only address their business today but the world around them tomorrow. Investors, customers, and other stakeholders are paying closer attention to the companies they do business with, asking that they not only make decisions that improve operations but also decrease the negative effect on their environment and community: a supply chain with a conscience.
It starts with being thoughtful about solving today’s challenges. The process-driven solution approach enables an organization to look at business processes with an eye towards opportunities for continuous improvement. Starting with an architecture based on workflows, this approach empowers organizations to identify and modify processes that are wasteful or unnecessary, strategic decisions that can lessen their environmental impact. Creating a conscious supply chain fundamentally starts with an organization’s commitment to gaining visibility into its processes and using the data to continue to follow continuous improvement.
A primary challenge across industries is attracting and retaining labor. By augmenting its labor force with the proper technology elements, an organization can show employees their work is supported and meaningful. This will keep employees engaged and efficient and create a culture that supports their long-term presence in the operation. By focusing on retaining and growing the value of the workforce, an organization is laying a foundation that will increase efficiency, creating room for process improvement.
Within supply chains today there is a need to clear away hurdles – create stickiness for labor engagement and productivity plus increase efficiency and production – but there is also the need to ensure preparation for the inevitable need to change or pivot in the face of unexpected events. It starts with being process driven and building the infrastructure with technology and automation solutions that will optimize operations today, while also providing resilience that can be leveraged in the years to come as a strategic solution. This creates the space to explore and implement sustainable strategies and shifts the operation from simply moving goods to also doing good.
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