How Do You Turn Supply Chain Data into Actionable Information?

… There are lots of ways to view data, but three that are particularly useful in supply-chain analytics are –Reporting, Scorecarding, and Benchmarking.

… For instance, a BI report of today displays all the data about transportation providers as usable information, in a scorecard format. Factors such as on-time delivery, freight cost per unit shipped, and transit time are assigned metrics and weighted averages to help users determine how well carriers are performing overall.

… Where reporting is really like looking in the rearview mirror, dashboards are used to see what’s going on now, and makes it easier for users to identify trends and exceptions, and to intervene before something goes wrong.

… Significant cost savings can occur when KPI’s are monitored and the data is accessible in a format that allows users to make informed decisions. The biggest advantage of using dashboards to present Business Intelligence data is that dashboards give companies the advantage of allowing, users to make decisions without having to wait for someone to pull and send reports.

Business Intelligence applied to supply chain also allows for benchmarking. … By benchmarking carriers against each other, you can easily see who is offering you the best deal.

… So as you think about rolling out a BI system. Think in terms of the applications, not the data. Think about what reports are important and how scorecards could improve your visibility into data. Develop dashboards to give you a look ahead, and use scorecards to make sure that you are getting the best deal from your vendors and suppliers. Doing this allows you to see what you want, and get what you see.

Reference: How Do You Turn Supply Chain Data into Actionable Information?