Business intelligence for supply chain management
Cutting costs through stringent supply chain management is one of the most popular applications of business intelligence. Business intelligence applied to management of supply chains in small, medium and large enterprises has numerous benefits such as:
- Better forecasting of demand
- Detailed information about inventory levels
- Reduction in inventory levels
- Maintaining constant supply of products
- Lower costs of goods by ordering optimal quantities
- Minimising cost of excess and obsolete inventory
- Tight cash flow management
- Overview of logistics of the entire supply chain
Data mining with predefined points of analysis
Data mining with predefined points of analysis is aimed at understanding customer behaviours by analysing relationships between various pre-decided influencing factors. The results of such an analysis will answer questions relating to the interaction of a set of influencing factors. For example, a predefined analysis of customer service Vs sales would illustrate the effects of good and bad customer service on sales, and would answer questions such as how important customer service is to your customers and how much it influences future sales.
Cost control with business intelligence
Cost control can be achieved by ordering large quantities and minimising wastage. Business intelligence systems can be used to optimise order quantities, pool suppliers and minimise materials inventory. We can determine optimal order quantities and set up your business systems to minimise costs. The application of business intelligence to cost control is justifiable even for small businesses. Cost control measures can also be applied lower down the supply chain, to manage distribution and delivery logistics. We can analyse your entire supply chain and help you save money by identifying inefficient business processes.
Inventory control
An in-depth statistical analysis of your inventory data can reveal the optimal inventory level where the cost of holding inventory nearly equals zero. It can also identify bands of inventory levels above which holding the inventory is more costly than the value of the inventory, or levels below which you could lose sales due to product unavailability. Business intelligence techniques used for inventory control include complicated cost-value equations and historical and forecast analysis. We can work with your business data to develop cost-effective inventory management solutions for your business.
Supply and distribution management
Order management and enterprise resource planning systems can be used to tie in demand and supply data. Forecast values for product lines determine raw material requirements. Our business intelligence services can determine whether your supply chain is equipped to maintain uninterrupted supply of products and manage distribution of finished goods at the lowest cost possible. We will work with you to determine the right balance and provide recommendations to manage supply and distribution effectively.
