Last month, Gartner® released their Market Guide for Analytics and Decision Intelligence Platforms in Supply Chain. In addition to all the in-depth research into the evolving (but still fragmented) space, we were happy to see that the report acknowledges Bluecrux as a Representative Vendor in the Analytics and Decision Intelligence platforms (A&DI) space. Moreover, that Axon is mentioned as a Representative Service. We couldn’t agree more.
A&DI platforms, as defined by Gartner, include existing and emerging technologies such as graph technology, advanced analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), data science and machine learning (DSML), model development AND digital supply chain twins (DSCT). Below, we delve into a few ways digital twins can be utilized by supply chain technology leaders in their digital transformation journeys.
“Today, many of the activities associated with data, including preparation, transformation, pattern identification, model development and sharing insights with others, remain very manual,” according to the Gartner report. “While demands for more analytics-driven and real-time decision-making remain high, technical hurdles limit user adoption and opportunities to drive business outcomes from these solutions.”
This is where value stream mapping can come into the picture. It can help you get a better visual of the situation at your supply chain and effectively plan for a more efficient future. We talk about it in-depth in a blog post from earlier this year, Value stream mapping with a digital supply chain twin. From experience, we know that it’s almost an impossible task to manually create value stream mapping visuals with uncertain numbers. With a digital supply chain twin, however, it’s possible. Check out the blog post at the link above to learn more about why a digital twin can help, the key questions that digital value stream mapping can answer and what digital value stream mapping is like with Axon.
A goal of some analytics technology vendors is to “augment and automate human decision-making in the business moment to varying degrees,” reports Gartner. “What’s more, the decision intelligence discipline is gaining momentum as a practical discipline used to improve decision-making by explicitly understanding and engineering how decisions are made and how outcomes are evaluated, managed and improved by feedback.”
In June, Axon hosted a webinar that explored the three kinds of decision-making enabled by a digital twin that can transform a supply chain—informed decision-making, real-time decision-making and continuous improvement. We took viewers into the world of Formula 1 racing, where a digital twin called a driver-in-the-loop simulator facilitates decision-making before, during and after races. Are there some distinct differences between a Grand Prix and your supply chain? Sure. But are there some tangible similarities when it comes to decision-making? Absolutely. To learn more about it, check out our webinar recap: Watch: 3 types of decision-making to shift your supply chain into the next gear.
A&DI capabilities are delivered under four distinct categories, including supply chain A&DI platforms, which is what Axon falls under. Per Gartner, “These data-lake enabled environments analyze data (e.g., supply chain-relevant data and build models) and predominantly, but not exclusively support supply chain use cases.”
At Axon, we know that a data lake is but a starting point for complex global supply chains that often have data scattered across a wide range of systems. In recent years, many major international corporations have implemented initiatives to establish centralized systems for consolidating and storing their data. But this centralized consolidation isn’t the final step. After all, it doesn’t mean that your data will automatically be connected. That’s where a digital supply chain twin comes in. Axon, for instance, connects data automatically via its proprietary machine learning models and provides a single digital representation of an entire supply chain that is continuously in sync with reality. Get more insight on this in a blog post from Axon VP Valérie Vandenbroucke, We have a data lake, why do we also need a digital supply chain twin?
Want to check out the Gartner Market Guide for Analytics and Decision Intelligence Platforms in Supply Chain in full? Read the complimentary report HERE, courtesy of Bluecrux.
Gartner, Market Guide for Analytics and Decision Intelligence Platforms in Supply Chain, Christian Titze, Noha Tohamy, David Pidsley, Leonard Ammerer, 26 June 2023.
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