Disruptive companies reassessing customer & supplier network models “ At SAP , we get asked quite often to provide analysis of what suppliers exist in this or that region , so that organisations can prioritise minority-owned suppliers . People are becoming far more mindful around sourcing .”
A fellow panellist and colleague was Andrea Ricciarelli , Sustainable Supply Chain Management Domain Advisor at SAP , who holds in-depth logistics expertise and experience , with a focus on transportation and warehouse management . Ricciarelli believes that agility around logistics is vital for businesses who not only want to mitigate risk , but also want to compete in today ’ s volatile markets . He cited Amazon as a game-changer here , particularly around last-mile logistics .
“ Amazon has been very disruptive these past five years . Now , when we place an order , we want to know exactly when we ’ ll receive it . This is why so many retailers now organise logistics networks to ship products to final customers and are also organising returns . This has given rise to a different customer model in the logistics industry .”
Ricciarelli also referenced Procter & Gamble , who he says has moved from a wholesale model to a direct-to-consumer model by delivering products to endconsumers .
“ In that sense , retailers are moving into the logistics service-provider space ,” he says , adding that logistics service providers are also rolling with the punches of uncertainty and disruption by evolving their services .
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