The modern supply chain, Oracle has noted, is very noisy, overflowing with digital feedback. While customer voices are clamoring for attention, manufacturers and suppliers are speaking up about what’s needed, while your own internal team is offering their own input and insights.

Does that sound familiar? If so, no matter why your particular supply chain is causing a commotion, in today’s times, you need to be able to block out the static, and then carefully listen and respond to valuable feedback and requests.

An excellent way to manage supply chain conversations across channels and to otherwise maximize supply chain value is through the power of the Cloud, so it can make very good sense to begin your company’s transition to the Cloud in the area of supply chain management. To demonstrate the value of having a well-coordinated, highly visible chain, we’ll delve into how we helped Acme Brick transform its supply chain operations through Oracle Cloud.

Challenges and Cloud Solutions for Acme Brick

This company manufactures affordable brick choices for homeowners, builders, contractors, businesses, institutions, and more, in a sustainable, enduring way. They recognized a need to move away from their reliance upon manual spreadsheet entries because this system made errors more likely to occur, and opened the company up to unnecessary risk. They knew that they needed a streamlined planning solution that boosted planning capacity in multiple ways, including demand, supply chain, and sales and operations planning.

Here’s the bottom line. Their current, on-premise supply chain solution was no longer the best choice to align supply and demand.

After careful analysis, it was determined that Acme Brick would significantly benefit from adding the Cloud to their technology footprint, and that it was important for their Cloud solution to go live before their year-end deadlines. So, ArganoCSS and Acme Brick kicked off the project, one that took 22 weeks to complete, and went live before the deadline. The chosen solution leveraged the power of their enterprise resource planning technology, which was on premise, with the result being a unified, integrated solution that drove planning efficiency and elevated the technology footprint of the enterprise—with disruptive upgrades becoming a problem of the past.

Benefits received include:

• improved processes
• reduced inventory levels
• improved levels of service
• increased supply chain visibility
• streamlined operations
• evolved sales and operations planning
• reduced total cost of operations
• unified supply and demand generation
• dovetailed supply and demand analysis
• improved response time

All of this was accomplished through a quickly deployable approach that used out-of-the-box technology, a realistic, business-driven solution. With ERP integrated into their supply chain Cloud solution, Acme Brick benefitted from planning consistency derived by a focus on consensus priorities, with the unified alignment made possible by the common visibility created in the Cloud. Planning and execution could be effectively synchronized along the entire length and depth of the supply chain, optimizing responsiveness.

Common Supply Chain Management Problems

In general, increasing numbers of companies with on-premise supply chain systems are struggling with a lack of visibility into total company operations. This often happens because processes are siloed from other ones, and it becomes challenging to efficiently see how they connect, making it harder to stay competitive. Sometimes, it’s hard to see interconnections between siloes at all.

Other challenges can include:

• the ability to identify suppliers that best fit particular needs
• accessing supplier history to efficiently collaborate
• managing inventory at optimal levels

That’s where the SCM Cloud comes in, providing high visibility that allows companies to anticipate challenges, demands, and more, and to proactively devise seamless solutions that satisfy customers.

Oracle’s SCM Cloud is the most comprehensive in the industry, facilitating the ability of companies of all sizes in a wide range of industries to lower costs, minimize risk, and extend options. This Cloud solution facilitates a deep dive into all aspects of the supply chain, empowering users from start to finish.

Oracle SCM Cloud Options

Options for the SCM Cloud include:

• Inventory and Cost Management Cloud: This provides your enterprise with maximum visibility into your inventory.
• Logistics Cloud: Boost fulfillment in a customer-centric way, while reducing costs and helping to ensure compliance.
• Maintenance Cloud: This Cloud solution allows your company to efficiently manage operations and make smart choices.
• Manufacturing Cloud: Streamline operations, both internally and externally, while managing costs and boosting quality.
• Order Management Cloud: Obtain a single view of each customer as you manage orders, cross channel.
• Procurement Cloud: Streamline your source-to-pay process, while controlling costs to achieve better margins.
• Product Lifecycle Management Cloud: Innovate, develop, and commercialize products in a profitable way, increasing return on innovation.
• Product Master Data Management Cloud: Consolidate and enrich data, and otherwise take charge of your company’s product information.
• Service Logistics Cloud: Order parts, manage stock, bill customers, and more, while managing costs in a customer-friendly way.
• Supply Chain Collaboration and Visibility Cloud: Automate your processes, from start to finish, for a highly efficient, responsive supply chain.
• Supply Chain Planning Cloud: Proactively manage revenue and expenses, promoting growth of the first and reducing the second.
• SCM Analytics: Optimize your supply network strategically, while streamlining your enterprise operations.

Supply Chain Management Approach at Argano

The SCM consulting team at Argano helps companies to effectively manage supply and demand, inventory, procurement, logistics, and much more using a data-driven approach. We optimize information flow, internally and externally, to maximize your ability to effectively manage cash flow throughout your entire supply chain.

Because we recognize that no two companies have the same challenges and opportunities, or the same processes and procedures, we work with you to make tailored technology recommendations that dovetail with your unique needs and truly maximize your SCM. Throughout the entire process, we focus on risk and change management, using our deep industry knowledge (across multiple industries) to fast track your enterprise from ideation to innovation through integrative, holistic Oracle SCM solutions.