A view from the cloud

This is an excerpt of the original article. It was written for the November 2019 edition of Supply Chain Management Review. The full article is available to current subscribers.

November 2019

We hear a lot about emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics. We hear less about one of the enabling technologies that makes the others possible:

Browse this issue archive.

Already a subscriber? Access full edition now.

Need Help?

Contact customer service

847-559-7581   More options

Not a subscriber? Start your magazine subscription.

With all the buzz around artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics and the Internet of Things, the Cloud may get lost in the shuffle. Yet, many NextGen technologies would not be possible without the Cloud. Simply put, the Cloud, in all its forms, enables data sharing never before possible and allows the supply chain to work more effectively and proactively. That facilitates more advanced analytics and insight development that will streamline the ability of supply chains to deliver goods at a lower cost and at greater speeds. And while the Cloud has reached only a small percentage of its potential in supply chain operations, that is going to change rapidly in the next three to five years. For this article, we spoke with industry leaders from IBM, Georgia Tech, Infosys Consulting Services and Cisco.

The Cloud according to Tom Ward and Michelle Lam

The possibilities that the Cloud opens up to the supply chain are multiplying at breakneck speed. And it’s happening for two primary reasons.

To begin, the Cloud itself is evolving. Very quickly. Second, that evolution is changing how the supply chain operates—just as quickly. Both blockchain and risk mitigation are two examples here that IBM is deeply involved with today.

In different forms, these platforms have been around since the 1950s, as we progressed from mainframes to on-demand computing to the modern-day Cloud. Today the value proposition of the Cloud is many-fold. It is a highly cost-efficient platform that manages and shares data. It is highly flexible and elastic, offering speed and integration of data networks that can support and advance the supply chain and many other forms of commerce, for that matter. Cloud typically enables higher-level analytics and insights across the supply chain. And while security and inconsistent performance require vigilance, both are highly manageable.

We’re all familiar with the public Cloud. That’s what companies such as Amazon, Google, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle and others offer. Over a public network, these providers make available to clients restricted access to affordable computing resources without the need for clients to invest in hardware, software, storage or networking. The public Cloud is one-stop shopping managed by the provider.

SC
MR