Shape High-Tech Supply Chains for Resilience

The magnitude and intensity of recent disruptions have heavily impacted the high-tech industry with its strong reliance on globally distributed supply networks. Complex products, short product lifecycles, high product diversity and global competition make high-tech supply chains even more vulnerable and difficult to manage.

Improving supply chain resilience starts with internal and external self-assessment. Using a SWOT analysis helps manufacturers identify the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats within their supply chains.

Strengths: These internal, positive factors are within the manufacturer’s control. They include effective management of product parts that is easy to use and scale, as well as strong contract management.

Weaknesses: Internal, negative factors such as lack of real-time market monitoring to provide 360° customer and supplier visibility is a competitive disadvantage.

Opportunities: Where do the post-crisis opportunities lie? Entering new markets or releasing pent-up consumer demand are some of these external, positive factors.

Threats: Political instability or a shortage of raw materials that put the business at risk are examples of external, negative factors beyond the company’s control.

The path to supply chain modularity starts with an integrated digital platform spanning supply chains, sales and operations planning as well as manufacturing operations. When multiple teams and key stakeholders can model strategies on a single platform — collaborating in real time, from wherever they are — they gain speed and agility to respond to dynamic changes and plan for uncertainties.

This can be achieved on a platform that enables collaborative simulation and drives real-time information intelligence providing deep insights into supply chains and capacities. A platform approach speeds up decision-making and corrective actions, helping manufacturers enhance supply chain resilience.

The right platform for their business also gives manufacturers access to a qualified online ecosystem of industrial parts and service providers. Additionally, an integrated digital platform offers sourcing and standardization intelligence that helps manufacturers avoid duplication of parts and streamline processes. The result: Improved agility and efficiency combined with reduced costs and time.