The “Multi-Multi” Supply Chain Problem That No One Is Talking About

After the COVID-19 shock of 2020, supply chain executives across multiple surveys indicated plans to invest in digital transformation. CEOs acknowledged broken supply chains and poorly managed IT networks and McKinsey & Company found that, over the course of a decade, the average organization was losing close to half of a year’s profits from supply chain disruptions. A couple of things are clear: The time to act is now and the end game is to achieve agility, flexibility, and resilience. What is less clear? How to get it done.

Mitigating risk and impact, monitoring and controlling cost, and maintaining operational excellence under changing conditions have become a multi-tier endeavor. Unless we address the greater "multi-multi" supply chain problem, technology strategies won't adequately achieve agility, flexibility, and resilience. Meaning, businesses will continue to improve and optimize within isolated systems and domains, but not across the full supply chain ecosystem of parties, systems, and processes.

This whitepaper:

• Defines the "multi-multi" supply chain problem underlying all technology strategies
• Discusses the "narrow" versus "future-oriented" mindset when selecting supply chain solutions
• Indicates how businesses can solve the multi-multi problem for both short-term relief from pain points and long-term success
• Offers a plan for agile implementation and supply chain ecosystem resilience