Survey reveals disconnect between supply chain officers, C-suite counterparts
Research found that 80% of the supply chain executives surveyed identify the chief information officer or chief technology officer – not the CEO, chief operating officer (COO) or chief financial officer (CFO) – as key stakeholders.
While most companies recognize the value of a digitally enabled supply chain – empowered by new technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, big data and analytics – many chief supply chain officers (CSCOs) are not leveraging their C-suite counterparts to help reinvent the supply chain function, according to new research from Accenture, Chicago.
The report, “Drive Your Own Disruption: Is your supply chain in sleep mode?,” reveals that the 900 supply chain executives surveyed were more likely to say that they see their function in two years as a cost efficiency driver (60%) or a support function (68%) rather than as a competitive differentiator (48%) or a growth enabler (53%) within their organizations.
“Supply chain executives should take no comfort in being categorized as a support function,” says Mohammed (Mo) Hajibashi, managing director at Accenture and global supply chain lead in the products industry practice. “In this digital era where customers demand speed to market and hyper-personalization, these executives need to ensure that their supply chain function is not only a key differentiator, but also ensures the sustained growth of their organizations. The fast and efficient adoption of the right new technologies that enable a new way of working, along with increased C-suite engagement with the supply chain function, are the keys to achieving growth via new digital business models that create new customer experiences, craved by the consumer.”