A recent report published by Accenture reveals that many procurement and supply chain executives are struggling to convince their C-level executives to transform the supply chain into a model of growth and to provide a superior experience for the customer.
The report, entitled Drive Your Own Disruption: Is your supply chain in sleep mode? surveyed supply chain executives to find out what they envisaged their function to be like two years down the line.
Nearly 68% stated that they would continue in a support function while 60% thought that they would be the drivers of cost reduction. Merely 53% stated they would be growth enablers while 48% felt they would end up being competitive differentiators.
These findings reveal that there is a disconnect between the supply chain and C-Suite. As a result, organisations are unable to take advantage of the digital transformation, resulting in uneven growth.
Mohammed Hajibashi, Managing Director at Accenture, stated that supply chain executives should not be content to remain in the support function of an organisation.
He added that in this day and age digital has become the norm and customers are looking at speed and personalisation. Hence, supply chain and procurement staff should not be happy being merely key differentiators. They should ensure that their function also helps their organisation to enjoy sustained growth.
Hajibashi emphasised the need for supply chain and procurement staff to adopt new technologies, adding that C-Suite executives should be more active at every level of the supply chain. It is only then that organisations can enjoy growth in an age when digital business models are being used to help customers enjoy newer and more efficient experiences.
The report stated that C-level executives should move away from outdated legacy systems and be ready to adopt disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence while building a workforce that has core competencies to improve procurement and supply chain. This can be achieved through reskilling and continuous learning, and only through enthusiastic engagement at every level of an organisation.
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