THE SUPPLYCHAIN INTERVIEW
INGRID GONZALEZ MCCARTHY
Ingrid Gonzalez McCarthy – Senior Director Analyst with the Gartner Supply Chain Practice – on how supply chain planners can best adopt new tech solutions
WHY ARE SOME SUPPLY CHAIN PLANNERS RELUCTANT TO USE NEW TOOLS ?
» The primary reason is perception . Planners resist because they are not convinced the new tool is reliable and presents a risk to their ability to do their jobs effectively . This presents a problem for leaders who tend to lead with the benefits of the tool ; these benefits will not break through to their teams if the planners do not trust that the tool will function as intended .
There are many potential causes for such mistrust . Planners might be unclear about the data sources or may find the data that feeds into the tool to be limited or otherwise have shortcomings .
Planners might also test the tool and find discrepancies between its output and those of the legacy tools they are comfortable using , such as spreadsheets . These discrepancies can erode confidence in the reliability of the output of the new tool they are being asked to use .
HOW IMPORTANT IS USER- FRIENDLINESS WHEN INTRODUCING A NEW TOOL ?
» Planning leaders have typically prioritised user-friendliness and simplicity as key criteria for introducing new tools to their teams . In our discussions with the planners , however , we find that they do not mind using a complex tool .
18 February 2024