Embracing Low-Code Platforms for a Unified Supply Chain
By Ramsey King
In today’s fast-paced and data-driven world, supply chains are becoming increasingly complex. Organizations are constantly seeking ways to streamline their operations, improve collaboration, and enhance visibility across their supply chains. Enter the age of low-code analytics platforms – a paradigm shift in the direction of democratizing access to data and advanced analytics such as predictive or prescriptive insights. As the industry rapidly traverses this path, it begs the question: What are the benefits of deploying these platforms for end-to-end unified supply chain analytics?
Low-code platforms are essentially software development environments that allow users to create reports/models with minimal hand-coding. They utilize visual interfaces with simple logic and drag-and-drop features, making it easier for non-technical users to build and customize reports. In the context of supply chain analytics, these platforms enable businesses to quickly develop and deploy reports that can integrate various data sources, automate processes, and provide real-time insights into supply chain operations.
What are low-code analytics platforms and why do we care?
The use of low-code platforms in supply chain management is gaining traction due to their ability to enhance agility, improve collaboration, and increase operational efficiency through drastically improving accessibility and removing technical barriers to data rich reporting. By providing a unified view of the entire supply chain, these platforms help businesses make informed, data-driven decisions, respond to changes swiftly, and continuously optimize their operations for better performance
Improved Collaboration and Visibility
One of the key benefits of deploying low-code platforms for unified supply chain analytics is the significant improvement in collaboration and visibility. Traditional supply chain management systems often operate in silos, making it challenging to share information and coordinate activities across different departments and stakeholders. Low-code platforms address this issue by integrating various systems and data sources and provide a single, unified view of the entire supply chain, without the need for advanced data science skills or any level of coding proficiency.
With improved visibility, businesses can monitor their supply chain operations in real-time, identify potential issues, and take proactive measures to address them. For example, real-time tracking of inventory levels, transportation status, and supplier performance allows businesses to optimize their logistics and reduce delays. Ultimately, enhanced collaboration between departments and external partners leads to better coordination, faster problem resolution, and more efficient operations.
Low-code platforms also enable continuous sharing of critical information and insights across the supply chain in near real-time. By serving as a de-facto centralized repository of data, these platforms enable all stakeholders to access the information they need, when they need it, and in the form that matters most to them. This transparency fosters a culture of collaboration and accountability, leading to improved decision-making and overall supply chain performance.
Driving Agility and Flexibility with Simplicity
Agility and flexibility are essential for maintaining a competitive edge. Low-code platforms empower businesses to quickly adapt to changing market conditions, customer demands, and operational challenges. These platforms enable rapid development and deployment of reports, helping businesses respond swiftly and efficiently by eliminating the need for specialized (often tribal) knowledge and extensive technical and monetary resources.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, companies leveraging low-code platforms could rapidly develop and deploy new reports to identify and manage disruptions. This included tools for monitoring supply chain risks, optimizing inventory levels, and automating order processing. This agility allowed them to maintain operations, adapt quickly, and mitigate disruption impacts as globalized supply chains hit speed bump after speed bump.
These platforms are also often built by industry experts who have an intimate understanding of their user base. Which is why many of these “out of the box” solutions come with the flexibility to customize reports to meet specific business needs and ensure alignment with your unique initiatives and goals. Ultimately, low-code platforms enable businesses to tailor reporting to their processes, optimizing operations and achieving better results.
End-to-End Supply Chain Analytics Brings Unique End-to-End Benefits
Deploying low-code unified supply chain analytics offers unique economic and operational benefits, especially when compared to home grown solutions.
A primary benefit of low-code platforms is reduced development costs. Home grown reporting and analytics solutions can be time-consuming and expensive, requiring specialized skills and significant resources. Low-code platforms enable non-technical users to build and customize reports, reducing dependency on highly specialized IT professionals and lowering overall analytics costs.
Additionally, (well designed) low-code platforms improve operational efficiency by automating repetitive tasks and streamlining processes. Automating order processing, inventory management, and logistics analysis reduces manual intervention, minimizes errors, and accelerates operational improvements. This increased efficiency leads to cost savings, improved customer satisfaction, and a stronger competitive position. Moreover, the nature of low-code platforms means that more users can be self-sufficient, quickly identifying what data they need to see and rapidly building reports to visualize that data, gone are the days of having to wait weeks for a data science team to build something before you can use it.
Finally, these reporting platforms are often budget-friendly and easy to pilot on a small scale before an enterprise-wide rollout when compared to similar home-grown solutions. Piloting a low-code solution is a low-risk proposition, not requiring significant financial investment, teams of data scientists, or years of R&D. Piloting at one or a few locations can validate the concept and provide the flexibility to scale at your own pace or even discontinue if necessary.
Ultimately the age of low-code analytics is one rooted in self-sufficiency, optimized operations and resource allocation, and an important part of systemic risk management.
The Promise of Democratizing Data Analytics
The promise of democratizing data analytics through low-code platforms is transformative. These platforms break down technical barriers, empowering users across all levels to harness the power of data. By enabling rapid report development and deployment, they offer unparalleled agility and flexibility. The resulting improvements in collaboration, visibility, and operational efficiency drive better decision-making and optimized performance. In a world where supply chains are increasingly complex and fast-paced, low-code platforms provide the competitive edge needed to thrive, making high-level analytics accessible to everyone and ensuring that businesses are always prepared to adapt and excel.
Learn more about how Agillitics is enabling low-code unified supply chain analytics with AgiSight
