With this survey, we aimed to discover attitudes towards, and plans for the adoption of, cloud-based supply chain management solutions on a global basis by focusing on the criticality of supply chain management (SCM) to the business;
- how SCM helps with attaining business objectives;
- the reasons why cloud-based SCM is adopted or not adopted; and
- what is expected of SCM vendors.
Here are the eight key take-aways:
- Respondents want to move towards cloud-based, endto-end SCM solutions, seeing a wide range of strategic advantages
- New technology is a key motivator to adopt a cloudbased SCM solution, with incentives including visibility, metering and monitoring, and integration with nextgeneration technologies
- Operational efficiency is a key advantage of supply chain management solutions, along with customer-centricity and innovation
- Many SCM processes already run in the cloud, including product lifecycle management, global trade logistics, and ideation and innovation
- Challenges to the adoption of cloud-based SCM remain, including security and operational disruption, although these are not seen as insurmountable
- In terms of outcomes, companies want an end-toend, integrated SCM solution that offers a wide range of functions
- Vendor support for cloudbased SCM is crucial, although vendors need to do more to justify its adoption, especially with respect to security, certification and integration
- Although companies are ready to adopt cloud-based SCM solutions, they need to be convinced, particularly over business benefits and full vendor support