Now Greater Value From Supply Chains With Manthan's Proprietary 'Supplier Collaboration Maturity Index'
The retail industry is being equipped to handle two critical challenges - supply chain inefficiencies and escalating inventory costs.
Bangalore, India (PRWEB) Retailers now have access to a powerful tool to trim operating costs and improve supply chain agility. The Proprietary ‘Supplier Collaboration Maturity Index' was recently released by Manthan Systems, a leading provider of retail Business Intelligence and Analytics solutions. This provides retailers with a detailed roadmap for evolution to higher levels of collaboration with suppliers.
The index maps retail supply chains against the vital parameters of visibility, information exchange, automation and supplier processes. It categorizes them as: novice, veteran, dormant and evolved. It also outlines the key capabilities to be built, investments to be made and opportunity costs involved for retailers wanting to scale up to higher levels of collaborative maturity.
Says Atul Jalan, CEO at Manthan Systems: "In a post recessionary economy, supplier collaboration is one of the most critical steps that can help retail chains achieve cost controls and improved profits," With varying IT environments and innumerable operational and logistical challenges, end-to-end supplier collaboration has often been like the elusive ‘last mile' that even the most seasoned retailers find hard to conquer."
A recent Gartner report reinforces this fact. It points out that as few as 15% retailers have supplier management processes that support their business objectives, and only a quarter of them are electronically connected to 50% or more of their suppliers.
"Despite investments in technology and processes, most supplier collaboration initiatives have remained department-centered efforts, with limited processes and a few key suppliers," says Hiren Doshi, SVP at Manthan. This tactical and departmentalized approach may help meet short term supply chain goals but will fail to have sustained results in the long run.
Retailers can leverage the full benefits of supplier collaboration, with a pervasive collaborative culture that covers supplier interactions and spans across the entire supply chain ecosystem.
"It is essential for retailers to view supplier collaboration as an enterprise-wide initiative and have the right balance between technological investments and process maturity, building capabilities in a phased manner. Advanced supplier portals are a powerful means for retailers to scale the collaboration maturity curve as smoothly and seamlessly as possible," says Doshi.
With a single window interface between the retailer and his entire supplier base, integrated supplier portals offer visibility and real-time information exchange between all touch-points in the retail supply chain. Such portals can result in dramatically reduced operational costs, quicker turnarounds and significant efficiency gains.
For detailed information on ‘Supplier Collaboration Maturity Index, download the white paper from http://www.manthansystems.com/supplier-collaboration-maturity-index
About Manthan Systems
Manthan Systems produces cutting edge analytic solutions for global retail and CPG organizations. Manthan's award winning products, under the brand name ARC, span a wide range of retail segments and formats, transforming decision making for some of the biggest names in retail across the globe. ARC Supplier Portal and Analytics, ARC SPA is a portal-based partner connect platform from Manthan that is designed exclusively for the retail domain. SPA facilitates efficient and seamless supplier collaboration while providing actionable intelligence that aids in effective decision making on all aspects of supply chain management. For more information, visit http://www.manthansystems.com.
SOURCE: PRWeb
View original release here: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/9/prweb8756408.htm