Supply Chain Management Software: Reducing Risks in the Supply Chain
Resilience to supply chain disruptions and market instability is now a prerequisite for business efficiency. This capability can be strengthened with supply chain management software, providing end-to-end visibility of supply chain operations and tools for managing all links in the chain—from planning to execution, monitoring, and supplier collaboration.
Functional Capabilities of Supply Chain Management Software
SCM software is typically deployed as an integrated application suite covering all or part of the supply chain processes, depending on the company's needs, priorities, and budget. It may include modules for:
- Supply chain planning based on demand analytics.
- Supply chain control with real-time tracking of operations and KPIs, supplier qualification against requirements, and ongoing performance monitoring.
- Inventory and warehouse management with stock level monitoring, low-stock alerts, and calculation of optimal stock for different product groups.
- Procurement management with automated routing of purchase requisitions for approval, RFx management, and purchase order tracking.
- Sales order management with centralized order processing, automatic order routing, and returns management.
- Logistics management with order delivery planning and monitoring.
- Supplier relationship management: self-service supplier registration, a supplier communication portal, and contract management features.
Supply chain management tools enable proactive responses to demand fluctuations and emerging bottlenecks in the supply chain, optimize inventory costs, achieve on-time order delivery, and improve customer satisfaction. You can choose a custom SCM solution so that all features you pay for align with your business specifics, or opt for a ready-made product if you need a quick start.
Best SCM Software Products
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management
Key features:
- AI-based customer demand forecasting.
- Automated order management.
- Convenient multi-supplier collaboration, RFQ and contract management.
- Built-in integration with Microsoft Power BI for analytics across all aspects of supply chain management, including ordering, warehousing, and transportation.
Best for: Small and medium-sized enterprises.
Price: From 18,000 RUB per user per month.
Oracle Supply Chain Management (open source)
Key features:
- Supply chain planning with what-if scenario simulation.
- Customizable supply chain performance monitoring (revenue, margin, etc.).
- Easy integration with Oracle Financial Cloud for financial operations management.
- High performance, security, and data reliability.
Best for: Medium and large enterprises.
Price: Contact vendor for pricing.
SAP Supply Chain Management
Key features:
- Demand forecasting based on statistical modeling and machine learning algorithms.
- Deep supply chain visualization for identifying disruptions and rapid response.
- Multi-echelon inventory optimization.
- Tools for collaboration with multiple tiers of suppliers.
Best for: Large enterprises.
Price: Contact vendor for pricing.