SupplyChain Magazine July 2020 | Page 64

LOGISTICS
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different stages in the supply chain . With all these variables , businesses can take time to get their house in order when it comes to data standards . The best approach for nailing this down is to use a platform with open APIs , which is able to take inputs from any source in real-time ,” continues Baumann . “ It ’ s also worth keeping in mind the different types of real-time data that are required to make a cognitive supply chain work in practice – reliable signals are required from areas across the business including transportation , weather , performance , and IoT sensors , in areas like distribution centres and factories . Without these , you simply won ’ t be able to build and maintain a functioning cognitive supply chain .” However , “ recent research indicates that the data deluge workers experience on a daily basis is becoming overwhelming . Nearly threequarters of employees claim they ’ re dealing with more and more data , while almost two-thirds said they are often overwhelmed by the sheer volume of emails they receive . Over a third went on to confess they feel stressed every day , due to information overload . Information overload not only puts workers under pressure , it can also have a damaging impact on their ability to make accurate business decisions — 60 % claim that the amount of data and information they receive daily can sometimes make it hard to make the right choices ,” adds Coussins . Therefore , “ while no one person can have direct visibility of everything that is going on in a company , business intelligence technologies and analytic software — including enterprise resource planning ( ERP ) systems and manufacturing execution software ( MES )— should be used to provide these insights . These technologies work by collecting , distilling ,
JULY 2020