ketteQ’s New SVP of Product Management Shares Insights on What’s Ahead for Supply Chain Operators

Vasu Narayan, the SVP of Product Management at ketteQ, says increasing data speed, building supply chain resiliency, creating a circular supply chain, and meeting the need for diversification in supply chains are all key trends on the horizon for supply chain operators.

Q. Given all of the challenges that have disrupted supply chains in 2021, what do you expect to happen in 2022 and beyond?    

A. New, more contagious COVID-19 variants are emerging and the situation for the industry is fluid. I expect that the production and logistics industries will continue to remain under pressure for the first half of 2022. But even beyond that, companies need to factor in the risk of such disruptions when designing and managing their supply chains. That process has to start now.

Q. How is data changing the supply chain industry?  

A. Data is the single most important foundational block for supply chain operations. The supply chain industry as a whole has realized the importance of data. Advances in technology have allowed for the capture of large amounts of data and the ability to do in-depth analysis and produce predictive insights, said Narayan. The speed of data is now extremely important as well. It is important for supply chains to be agile, flexible, and very quick to respond to changes. By collecting data in a timely fashion and using an effective software platform, operators can synthesize data quickly and produce insights to aid with analysis, present solutions to problems and quickly adapt to changes. All these things need to happen in near real time and that is the value of platforms like ketteQ, Narayan added. The industry often talks about control towers, but control towers are not just a bunch of reports or dashboards. Data is the underpinning foundation. Control towers are table stakes, followed by visibility and transparency. Actionable recommendations supported by analytics and data insights can help organizations anticipate and mitigate disruption – and that is the power of today’s data.

Q. Has the global supply chain changed the way companies do business?

A. Supply chain has now become commonplace in business lexicon. Because of massive, frequent supply chain disruptions globally, the term supply chain has gone from being somewhat obscure to defining the way companies run their business. There is now a heightened sense of urgency around managing supply chain, as businesses work to anticipate disruptions, diversify their supply chains, and prevent price shocks, for example. Just as supply chain strategy has begun to dominate operations, companies are dealing with heightened customer expectations as well, said Narayan. With the advent of Amazon, it can now conceivably take customers longer to decide what they want and drive to a store to get it, than it can to order something online and have it delivered to their doorstep. This has led companies to completely rethink their supply chain management, making sure their supply chain is resilient and fast enough to keep up with customer expectations. Advanced technology is crucial to reaching this state of optimization, Narayan added. Supply chain operators need to wake up and realize that these high expectations in the marketplace exist and they also have to realize that there are technology solutions like ketteQ that can get them to that level of speed and agility that they may have thought was not possible. Being able to synthesize data and operations into a holistic solution enables operations to move fast, and that is key.

Q. Will sustainability continue to gain in importance for supply chain operators?

A. There will continue to be a bigger and bigger push toward sustainability and green supply chain. This is partly due to consumer reaction and demand, and also because this is fundamentally something that is better, said Narayan. Sustainable practices lead to more efficient processes and improved bottom lines. Related to sustainability is the circular supply chain. Like the circular economy, a circular supply chain focuses not just on selling a product, but once a product is used, breaking down and reusing the raw materials. There is now more cost associated with procuring raw materials, which means it is more necessary to recycle the materials you put into the field. As organizations embark on their sustainability journey, ketteQ is ready to go along for the ride as a platform that can support the effort of data monitoring, transparency, compliance, and performance.

Q. Does supply chain diversity coupled with better technology really create more resilient operations?

A. Given all the steps organizations are taking to make their supply chains more resilient, from increasing reliance on long-term strategic partnerships, diversification of supply chain and increased visibility to minimize disruptions, the need for competitiveness puts a greater emphasis on the adoption of new technology, said Narayan. Emerging areas within IOT and blockchain will help provide that element of high visibility as well as transparency and integrity of supply chain. Even if you are working towards a greener supply chain, that digital record that block chain provides helps keep track of things in this world of highly complex supply chains. There are so many types of suppliers and organizations that need better visibility into all aspects of the supply chain, from raw materials, to end products, to how to deliver quickly to customers. This is driving more companies to adopt platforms like ketteQ’s to reach that new level of digital orchestration so critical to business.

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