Many supply chains have been disrupted over the last year. Google has developed a new cloud tool, Supply Chain Twin, to help improve supply chain logistics.
The effects of Brexit and the lack of lorry drivers has created severe challenges to supply chains. Google’s new tool, Supply Chain Twin, cannot tackle these two causes of supply chain breakdowns but can organize the supply chain better. Supply Chain Twin gathers and analyses data to give a comprehensive view of inventories, suppliers and events like the weather. The system creates a digital “twin” of the supply chain and events that affect it. The data the system gathers can be analysed and alerts created to warn of potential disruption factors. The data can also be used to highlight areas in the supply chain for improvement.
The data gathered can include warehouse locations, inventory levels, customer orders, supplier orders and transportation status. Public data including weather and traffic information can be added. Supply Chain Twin data can be shared between suppliers, warehouses, transport companies and other partners.
Hans Thalbauer from Google Cloud says:
“The Supply Chain Twin enables customers to gain deeper insights into their operations, helping them optimize supply chain functions from sourcing and planning to distribution and logistics.”
Having a complete picture means that companies can respond to fluctuating supply chain conditions. For example, if data analysis predicts sales surges, extra stock can be ordered from suppliers and more storage equipment purchased from a warehouse rack supplier.
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