supply chain visibility - capgemini · pdf filewhen discussing supply chain visibility, the...
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As we have noted elsewhere, (“Digital Transformation of Supply Chains: Creating Value Where Digital Meets Physical”, Capgemini Consulting 2011) technology is rapidly changing the landscape of most consumer oriented businesses in a fundamental way. Consumer buying behaviors and demand patterns are being significantly affected by high internet penetration, ubiquitous information availability, and rapidly growing social networks. This impact of this transformation on consumer oriented industries such as music, publishing, consumer electronics, retail and financial services is obvious, but this technology adoption by consumers will also have a major impact on the supply chains in traditional industries which continue to produce physical goods as organizations strive to better fulfill the needs of their customers.
Specifically, there are fundamental performance differences between traditional and digital supply chains. Without the various partners in a supply chain being able to see at any given moment in time, where in the supply chain goods and materials are physically located, the ability to collaborate, communicate and make decisions are all severely hindered. Given this key role that supply chain visibility plays in enabling a digital supply chain we feel that it is important to do a deeper investigation into the topic.
The first part of this report gives Capgemini’s point of view on visibility issues related to this changing environment. We share our view on the functionality and different categories of solutions. Collaboration and benefits are discussed in the following articles. In the last article the critical success factors for an implementation of such a system based on our experience are discussed.
The second part provides an overview of software solutions that are available in the market, industries they are relevant to and an overview of current trends. Since the software market is not that transparent, we dig deeper in the functionalities of each system. We also added our points of view here, based on the opinions of Capgemini Consulting’s global network of logistics professionals from around Europe, the USA and Asia who have experience in working with visibility software.
This report represents a first step in this analysis but is only a starting point for what should subsequently be a much more rigorous strategy, solution design and vendor evaluation process such as the one Capgemini Consulting regularly deploys with companies embarking on a supply chain visibility journey.
I invite you to use the contents of the report and also, to contact Capgemini if you are looking to improve visibility in your operations or select and implement a visibility system.
Introduction
Ramon Veldhuijzen Global Lead GTM Logistics and Fulfillment
Rob van Doesburg Principal Consultant Capgemini Consulting Netherlands
Table of Contents
Part I: SC visibility Business Insight 1. Supply chain visibility functional software model 6
2. Categorization and trends for visibility software solutions 8
3. Collaboration 11
4. Supply chain visibility benefits 13
5. Implementation of supply chain visibility software 16
Part II: SC visibility solutions overview1. Profile of the software market 19
2. Overview by industry type/market 26
3. Professional services 30
4. Technical information 34
5. Functionality 43
When discussing supply chain visibility, the first thing to address is a comprehensive definition. Since visibility is a buzzword in the boardroom we see the term being used to cover a great variety of systems and functions. For buyers it is very difficult to assess which functionalities are required and which are covered. To shed some light in this darkness Capgemini Consulting has developed a functional model that describes the relationship between systems and business functions.
Firstly, the supply chain scope of a visibility software package is very important, as it defines the functionality. For example, many solutions do not cover the manufacturing stage in the supply chain. Other elements that are not consistently covered are warehousing and transport functionalities. To achieve end-to-end supply chain visibility, the visibility system needs to cover the complete scope.
To support decision making, visibility software integrates all sources of data into one version of the truth. The solution scope can be internal where it links different functional systems or external when partners are integrated into the system. The more sources of information feed the system, the better its analysis become. In an ideal situation all internal systems as well as those of partners are linked, analytics on the end-to-end supply chain are then available.
Supply chain visibility functional
software model
INTEGRATION LAYER
Master data
Intelligence Cost Control
TRANSACTIONAL LAYER
ADD ONS
SO/PO
Order intake
Orders
SUPPLY CHAIN PARTNERS
Status
Status
StatusOrders
Manufacturing CustomersSuppliers
Sourcing &
Procurement
Planning &
Forecasting
Global Trade
Management
Workflow
Management
Order
Management
Order
processingEvent Management
Inbound Replenishment Replenishment OutboundStockStock
Figure 1: Capgemini’s Functional model for Supply Chain Visibility Software
Gang Wang China
Kris Dieteren The Netherlands
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Part I: SC Visibility Business
Insight
Add-on modules
Add-on modules enable better decision making in order management by providing specific input from other systems. Sourcing and procurement modules can add rates, allocation rules and contract information which help to make decisions on order allocation with respect to supply chain partners. Planning and forecasting modules consider constraints at warehouses, transport and production plants so that orders can be allocated to the best possible resources. If tariffs and taxes are within scope, global trade management can improve the tax efficiency of the supply chain by creating optimal revenues streams. Finally, workflow management can optimize the timing and order of tasks to ensure optimal utilization throughout the process. As a result of this internal integration, improved optimization is possible in order management, since it takes into account all rules and constraints set in the different business functions and systems.
Transactional layer
In the transactional layer, order management feeds event management with relevant information based on the ERP data. In some business models sales or purchase orders are not created in the ERP system but in a separate order management system. In these cases, the order management module does not need to be fed with ERP data.
Event management is the backbone of a visibility system by creating a dashboard of order status. Information is here integrated from both the internal transactional layer and external parties, and translated into either normal and exceptional order status. This is executed by comparing actual status information from internal data and partners, with planned data. By creating red flags, management by exception is supported. The relationship between order management and event management is critical to keep track of everything that happens in the supply chain. The more data that is collected in order management module, the more that can be monitored in event management. In an ideal situation, there is even a two-way link between these modules, so that immediate actions can be undertaken after a red flag appears. Take the example of an inventory shortage; this can be solved by relocating stock or by purchasing more supply. A good event management module is able to support this decision by using a what-if analysis and sending orders to partners automatically.
Integration layer
At the integration layer of the software, production warehousing and or transport orders can be communicated to partners throughout the supply chain, such as 3rd party logistics providers (3PLs), suppliers and customers. Status information like confirmations and exceptions are feeding the event management function. By combining the information from the supply chain with comprehensive internal data an accurate overview of the real-time situation of orders is generated. Add-ons such as intelligence and cost control fed by this integrated information, can create detailed status overviews. This allows for immediate action on disruptions, before they escalate.
Supply chain partner layer
The supply chain partner layer consists of all parties outside the four wall of the enterprise. All organizations that a firm communicates with can be included, the systems’s scope however defines which are to be integrated.
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The software market for visibility solutions is not clearly defined mainly due to the diverse backgrounds of the suppliers (e.g. TMS, WMS, ERP). Typically the solutions served a specific business function, but as a result of the managerial need for visibility across the supply chain, software solutions evolved over time. Origin is the main driver of differences in functionality; we see solutions originating from Enterprise Resource Systems (ERP), Transport Management Systems (TMS), Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), middleware software and dedicated visibility systems. To increase the visibility scope of these systems, vendors have added integration with other business functions.
Maturity Framework
In order to assess the maturity of Supply Chain Visibility solutions, a maturity framework has been developed to ease comparison between the various systems. This framework, based on the crawl-walk-run model defines maturity based on 6 factors:
Geographical Product Scope – referring to the geographical scope of the solution. The more mature a solution/vendor is, the more likely it supports a larger geographical area by taking regional functionalities into account.
Supply Chain Focus – indicating the scope of the supply chain covered by the solution. This could range from one or more specific elements of the internal operations (e.g. inbound transport track & trace, WIP inventory) to a full supply network scope (e.g. network collaboration and planning).
Functional Scope – determines the level of functionality. Less mature solutions are likely to have very specific and limited functionalities, tailored for a specific situation or business problem. However, the more mature solutions provide extended (or full) functional coverage, including functionalities in the areas of for example workflow management, GTM (Global Trade Management), order management and cost control.
Integration – focuses on the ability of visibility solutions to integrate with other systems. Less mature solutions focus on specific, internal processes and are often unable to provide integration with other systems. The more mature a solution becomes, the more integration is needed to provide end-to-end visibility throughout the supply chain or network. In addition, more mature solutions cover more functional areas and are therefore likely to require more internal and external interface integration capabilities.
Industry Focus – points to the range of industries on which the solution is aimed. Solutions tend to start with a strong focus on a specific market and then they scale up to multiple markets.
Categorization and trends for
Visibility software solutions
Erik Bootsma The Netherlands
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Selection
For the selection of a supply chain visibility software solution it is important to mention that larger systems are not per-se superior to smaller ones. With regard to technology, the choice needs to be based on internal and external integration needs. Secondly, the selection should focus on the requirements of your business, due to the great variety in scope and functionality. Table 1 shows examples of specific functionality needs for 4 sectors/industries. Retailers for example, might benefit from delivery slot planning functionalities to improve their delivery slot management and reduce waiting times. Within the FMCG market, companies are likely to benefit from inventory location functionalities, to enable improved inventory visibility in their supply chain. Companies within the high-tech and/or automotive sector have to comply with strict quality and safety guidelines for their products. Quality/safety management functionalities (e.g. real-time status reports on quality/safety issues) could therefore be required. Finally, Logistics Service Providers mainly focus on track & trace functionalities since these are offered as a service by most LSPs to their clients. In addition, multi-modal transport planning functionalities might give the LSP a competitive advantage.
Event Management – shows the level of maturity that the event management module has.
Domestic / Local Region Country Continent Global
Supply Chain Focus All internal operations Part(s) of Supply Chain Full Supply Chain Full Supply Network
Functional Scope Specific/very limited Specific, in-depth Broad, limited depth Broad, in-depth Full functional coverage
Integration No integration
Industry Focus
Event Management
Recognizing: Understanding: Managing: Mastering: Leading:
Geographical Product Scope
Part(s) of internal
operations
Internal integration
through interfaces
External integration
with supply chain
partners
External integration to
customers/suppliers
External integration
with network partners
Complete focusMultipleSpecific
Register events Monitor events Acting upon events Manage by exception Full execution function
Table 1: The maturity of Supply Chain Visibility solutions can be assessed by
the geographical product scope, supply chain focus, functional scope,
integration with other software, industry focus and event management
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Retailers
Delivery slot planning
Stock control
TMS/WMS integration
Transport consolidation/collaboration
Fast Moving Consumer Goods
Inventory location information
Multitier demand forecasting
Tariff management
CPFR
High-Tech & Automotive
Multitier demand planning
Quality management
Customer/Supplier portal
Import & Export compliance (GTM)
Logistics Service Providers
Track and trace
Billing and invoicing
3rd party integration (e.g. Customs)
Multi-modal transport planning
Specific functionality needs per sector
Figure 1: Specific functionality needs, related to your industry/sector can be
taken into account when selecting a Supply Chain Visibility solution.
The decision to choose a dedicated solution or a visibility add-on on top of an existing functional software solution (e.g. TMS/WMS/ERP), mainly depends on the depth of requirements and the fit within the existing IT landscape. Add-ons of functional software can be implemented easier, but have a strong focus on their core application. Whereas dedicated solutions tend to have a wider span across other business applications.
Trends
Perhaps the most significant trend witnessed currently is the fast pace of technological developments. This enables an increased flexibility at the core of supply chain visibility, especially for the solutions analyzed in this report. Recently, we have seen companies form their processes and organization around large and rigid systems. More lately however, we see that configuration of ERP systems enables improved support of existing business practices and integration with other systems.
Furthermore, cloud computing has been emerging rapidly over the last few years. Something that sounded like science fiction not so long ago, seems to be a must-have for (almost) every software system nowadays. Especially in the case of visibility systems, where functionality increases together with the amount of data they can use, cloud solutions offer great benefits. The low implementation costs and ease of connecting partners throughout the supply chain reduces the entry barrier to collaborate.
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Network Collaboration
Figure 1: Vertical, horizontal and network collaboration framework
Over the last decades, collaboration has become an increasingly common practice amongst companies. A clear transition can be identified from open-market negotiations (primarily focusing on price based discussions and adversarial relationships) to collaboration (e.g. supply chain integration and joint planning). Within the current collaboration practices, three types of collaboration can be distinguished: vertical, horizontal and network collaboration (see figure 1).
Vertical collaboration focuses on collaboration with customers and suppliers only. In the area of supply chain visibility, a good example of vertical collaboration is the use of customer/supplier portals to share information. Horizontal collaboration focuses on collaboration with supply chain partners and/or competitors. Practical examples include transport consolidation, inventory sharing, LSP repair centers and sharing demand planning. Network collaboration is the most advanced form of collaboration and tries to achieve a degree of higher flexibility for organizations by combining and sharing capabilities with both vertical and horizontal partners.
Before deciding upon ‘how to share information’ and what visibility software to use, two other questions need to be answered namely ‘who do we share information with?’ and ‘what information to share?’. The ‘who question’ sharing with is the most important question to answer and is directly linked to collaborative benefits but also to the degree of risk exposure. What information to share is the second most important decision and affects visibility performance – avoiding an overload of data without insight, avoiding deficient intelligence, reducing the cost of sharing and being more responsive.
Collaboration functionalities within Supply Chain Visibility
Software
Supply Chain Visibility software offers great possibilities for collaboration through the use of portals and (standard/custom) interfaces to other tools. Supplier, customer and 3PL portals are widely available for visibility software packages, enabling these parties to retrieve and input data. Another important functionality is the ability to interface with other systems (e.g. ERP, TMS, APS) and the ability to receive and send different file formats (e.g. XML, EDI).
As a result, supply chain visibility software enables and forces companies to collaborate with partners, exchange information and increase visibility throughout the supply chain.
Collaboration
Markus Hilmansson Sweden
Vertical Collaboration
External
Collaboration
(Suppliers)
External
Collaboration
(Competitors)
HorizontalCollaboration
External
Collaboration
(Supply chain partners)
Internal
Collaboration
External
Collaboration
(Customers)
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The future of collaboration and visibility software
Because of an increasing global perspective and the ever-changing supply chain networks, dynamic relations between companies are necessary. Dynamic relations between companies result in mean the continuous activation and deactivation of relations. With dynamic relations in shorter cycles, visibility software solutions will have to keep up. Deployment and termination of relations will have to be mirrored by visibility software which in turn will need to support ad-hoc information sharing, both operational as well as tactical and in some cases even strategic information.
With current technological enablers such as SaaS and cloud services in place more temporary information sharing through visibility software is already possible. Collaboration and visibility is likely to increase in all areas but foremost in the short-term, ad-hoc relationships with high benefits. The ad-hoc ability of visibility software is likely to be a key enabler in the collaboration of tomorrow (see figure 2).
Long termShort term
Time horizon
No collaboration-
(too costly deployment)
Long termShort term
Hig
h
Bene
fit o
f col
labo
ratio
n
Bene
fit o
f col
labo
ratio
n
Low
Hig
hLo
w
Time horizon
TODAY TOMORROW
Collaboration focus
on all levels
Collaboration focus
primarily on tactical
and operational levels
Collaboration focus
on all levels
No information
sharing
Operational
information sharing
Operational
information sharing
Collaboration focus
primarily on tactical
and operational levels
Figure 2: The future of collaboration and visibility software
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Figure 1: Supply Chain Visibility benefits
The effectiveness of supply chains requires a constant balancing of service and cost. This traditional service - cost approach can also be used to evaluate the value of supply chain visibility solutions. Primary value drivers should be considered across the different optimization areas when considering specific visibility solutions and how they can enable a given supply chain.
The full breadth of supply chain visibility optimization areas provides an integrated means of measuring and controlling the effectiveness of a given supply chain. Supply chain visibility brings responsiveness, reliability and flexibility to the supply chain. This enables supply chains to develop and maintain a long term competitive advantage. Other benefits cannot directly be attributed to lowered cost or improved service levels, but are the result of a successfully implemented Supply chain visibility solution. Examples include improved information accuracy and improved exception-based management; both impact other functional areas such as finance and customer service. In all, Supply chain visibility solutions provide a means of enabling cross functional execution of supply chain operations.
Supply chain visibility benefits
Shanton Wilcox USA
Erik Koperdraat The Netherlands
High impact Impact on relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPI)
Cost Reduction Service Level Improvement
Optimization areas
Potential Levers (examples)
Logistics costs
Inventory Total cycle time
Flexibility On-time delivery
Order mgt Better allocation decisions
Improved order flow
Event mgt Show disruptions in the supply chain
Increased network responsiveness
Event drive management
Intelligence Initiating improved performance of LSPs
Predict right ETA for customers
Cost control Landed costs better specifiable
Inventory costs visible
Invoice and budget checking
Supply Chain Integration
Savings on manual data entry
Savings on IT integration costs
Data sharing
Small impact
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The example cases below provide insight into the different benefits and benefit levers of supply chain visibility.
Capgemini experiences
The example cases below provide insight into the different benefits and benefit levers of supply chain visibility.
Case 1
Industry
Telecommunications
Transformation and outsourcing of the global Supply Chain Control Tower
A streamlined and sustainable supply chain is key to growth because of an increasingly global business environment, growing supply chain costs, and a larger ecosystem of partners and customers
Benefit 1 - Order management
Improved end-to-end visibility of order flow and order status from customer to internal purchase order. This enables the company to control the process. Secondly, this improves customer- and internal communication flows thereby improving productivity.
Benefit 2 - Order management and intelligence
Having the ability to monitor and report the performance of the order process. This includes the process of the different providers. This supports the internal and external performance management process and drives improvement projects.
Benefit 3 - Order management
Better being able to prioritize upcoming work. Deadlines can be respected more easily and team productivity has improved.
Case 2
Industry
Commercial Airline
Offload Visibility and Capability Improvement
Improved component offload and maintenance operations, increased visibility throughout the offload and maintenance process, better align shop’s capacity and resources with overall base maintenance requirements (execution visibility), improved efficiency of existing capabilities, alignment between IM and Supply with Maintenance, and overall improvements to end-to-end processes and supporting technology.
Benefit 1 - Order management
Define the work being staged, including condition of the assets. This information drives the demand for spare parts and consumables to be allocated to work orders to complete the repairs. As work orders are processed; consuming parts, inventory levels are updated to determine need to reorder.
Benefit 2 - Order management and cost control
Staged work orders with asset condition drives requirements for experience and skill sets. The labor requirement is defined in parallel to parts and consumable requirements to determine if materials and resources are available, prior to releasing the work order.
Benefit 3 - Order and workflow management
Managing integrated work order status allows centralized management of various work centers, and a view of the overall schedule adherence for a specific aircraft, driving accurate information regarding when it can be returned to service.
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Case 3
Industry
Pharmaceutical
Global visibility to support the transformation from global pharmaceutical manufacturer to a bioPharma business model.
Benefit 1 - Event management and cost control
The visibility platform provides active monitoring and status of shipments in-transit. The platform tracks shipments across various service providers throughout its international journey.
Benefit 2 - Event management
The solution provides active status updates, generating alerts when updates do not “match” the pre-defined milestones for a given route. This alerts responsible parties when attention is needed, versus staffing an organization to monitor shipments just in case.
Benefit 3 - Supply chain integration
All information used to manage the shipments throughout its lifecycle is standardized and captured in the visibility platform, creating a data rich environment to drive performance management.
Benefit sharing
The benefits generated from supply chain visibility are often the result of improved collaboration and it is therefore important to define the different roles and responsibilities that need to be enforced with contracts. In most cases, multiple partners need to take efforts in order to create visibility. Benefits vary among them and sharing these is therefore an important topic for supply chain visibility. Often the optimal solution for a supply chain, will not be optimal for every participant. Creating incentives for all parties to collaborate is key then.
Next to cost saving/ profit sharing, sharing information amongst supply chain partners is an important element since information is a valuable asset for supply chain partners. Information flows should be managed and controlled to prevent the information flows from becoming too difficult to manage for individual organizations and prevent opportunistic behavior.
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In this article we will discuss how to implement SC visibility software. Many methodologies are available to implement package based software solutions that could also be used for implementation of supply chain visiblity software. For this reason we will focus here on the critical success factors that are specific for selecting, designing and implementing supply chain visibility software and how this affects the project approach.
Critical Success Factors
Area Critical Success Factor
Vision Determination of the scope of the software (supply chain, functionality, partners) in line with business objectives
Combination of the development of organizational capabilities (which might be a control tower set-up) in parallel with the implementation of the tool
Translation of the vision in a concrete road map with benefits on the short term
Functionality Elaboration of the functionality of the software in cooperation with the main supply chain partners
Functional integration of the software in the current way of working supported by ERP, TMS, WMS and/or MES systems
Technical architecture Technical integration of the SC Visibility software in the current application architecture /landscape
A flexible and cost-effective technical set-up of the interfaces with other systems and partners
Costs Quantification of indirect benefits: the software supports better decisions making, this impact (on logistic costs, inventory and/or service quality) needs to be quantified
Services Run the software as a service as alternative for on-premises solutions
Set-up of an organization to connect and train supply chain partners on the tool after initial roll-out
Ability to execute Select an IT vendor which offers standard interfaces with the supply chain partners and/or services to connect these partners
Change management Alignment of organizational, process and IT changes
Cooperation with supply chain partners
Cooperation of customer service, operations, logistics and IT
Implementation of supply chain
visibility software
From our experience in SC visibility projects we have learned that the following factors make the implementation of such software different:
Rob van Doesburg The Netherlands
16
Services Ability to execute VisionCostFunctionality
1
2
3
Technical Architecture
Organizational Analyses
Package Selection
Package Validation
Figure 2: Approach for selection of SC visibility software
After contracting with the IT vendor, the solution needs to be designed in more detail, configured and implemented. Specific points of attention for SC visibility software projects are:
Alignment of the organizational, process and IT changes
Management of a large variety of internal and external stake holders in the project
Organization of the collaboration with supply chain partners regarding contractual implications, set-up of interfaces and way of working when operational
A phased implementation approach based on the expansion of the functional scope and integration with partners
Approach
The critical success factors will in particular have an impact on the approach for selection of the package and vendor (see figure below):
1. During organizational analysis, determination of the scope, definition of an integrated process, organization and IT solution (including collaboration with supply chain partners), preparation of the business case and design of the road map is of utmost importance
2. During the second step, the focus is on the selection of the package that offers the required functionality and fits in the existing technical architecture, offered by a vendor who provides the required integration services; of course determination of total cost of ownership is also an important activity during this step
3. Package validation for supply chain visibility software focuses not only on the functionality that needs to be provided but also incorporates the validation of integration services of the vendor
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1. Profile of the software market
1.1 Research approach
The data represented in the tables of this chapter were collected from written questionnaires sent to vendors at the end of 2011. In the accompanying text Capgemini has provided comments and opinions, but the data in the tables is as provided by the participating vendors.
1.2 Participating vendors
For the purpose of this study Capgemini Consulting has asked various vendors of Supply Chain Visibility solutions to participate. The 20 responding vendors meet at least one of the following criteria:
1. Solution covers more than 3 functional areas of visibility software, as mentioned in chapter 5
2. Vendors have a worldwide presence i.e. have 3 or more offices in the defined regions (Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, North America, Latin America, Middle East and Asia, Australia)
3. Vendor has participated in a project with Capgemini Consulting
The visibility software market is a vast one. It is also very diverse. That means that any report that provides an overview of the market will be incomplete and, due to the high pace of changes, slightly outdated the moment it gets published.
Not discouraged by these challenges, we have put together what we consider a good overview of vendors in Europe and North America.
The vendors were asked to provide an overview of the number of their solution implementations over the last 3 years. This can be used as an indicator for the market share ratio’s or vendor size. The results show that 25% of vendors are responsible for 73% of all implementations within the last 3 years.
The vendor and solution names are listed in table 1 and the majority of solutions are recently updated by a new release. Most vendors indicate that they expect to deliver a new release shortly, with a release cycle of several new releases a year.
Part II: SC Visibility solutions overview
19
Note: Next to MP Objects the company Centric participated in the survey as an implementation partner of MPO SCS.
Company: Application name Latest versionPlanned
next release
Number of implementation in
the last 3 years
Amber Road Supply Chain Visibility August 2011 12-01-2011 35
CDC Software i-Supply / CDC TradeBeam - Q4 2011 32
Constellation Software Inc. Viewlocity Control Tower Platform September 2011 Q1-2013 12
E2open, Inc. E2open Collaboration Solutions 2010 2012 -
GT Nexus Inc. Cloud Supply Chain Platform December 2011 01-28-2012 70
IES Ltd. eCellerate December 2011 01-05-2012 200
Infodis Supply Chain Solutions Infodis November 2011 23-12-11 17
Informore BV LogicLogistics (l2) 2011 Ongoing -
Kinaxis RapidResponse Control Tower January 2011 03-01-2012 -
Manhattan Associates SCOPE 2011 2012 429
MP Objects MPO Supply Chain Suite (MPO SCS) November 2011 15-02-2012 38
NetDespatch Limited Velocity Shipping Solution January 2011 January 2012 300
Oracle Oracle Supply Chain Applicaions 1 to 2 per year 1 to 2 per year 200
RedPrairie Corp. Web Visibility January 2011 04-01-2012 -
ShipitSmarter.com ShipitSmarter.com - - 87
Softeon Softeon Supply Chain Execution Solution
- - -
Software AG ARIS Process Performance Manager + ARIS MashZone
March 2011 Dec-11 39
Transporeon Transporeon January 2012 January 2012 124
Transwide Transwide v 11.2 January 2012 01-01-2012 71
Transics TX-CONNECT October 2011 03-01-2012 300
Table 1 - Overview of participating vendors and the applications involved
20
Company:Western Europe
Central and Eastern Europe
USA & Canada
Latin America
Middle East & Asia
Australia Total worldwide
Amber Road 3 - 3 - 1 - 7
CDC Software - - - - - - -
Constellation Software Inc.
3 - 9 1 1 2 16
E2open, Inc. 1 1 3 - 2 - 7
GT Nexus Inc. 3 - 20 - 3 - 26
IES Ltd. - - 1 - 1 - 2
Infodis Supply Chain Solutions
1 - - - - - 1
Informore BV - - - - - -
Kinaxis 1 - 2 - 3 - 6
Manhattan Associates 3 - 2 - 2 2 9
MP Objects 1 - 1 - 1 - 3
NetDespatch Limited 1 - - - - - 1
Oracle 100 50 100 70 70 5 395
RedPrairie Corp. 8 1 15 3 6 2 35
ShipitSmarter.com 2 - 1 - 1 - 4
Softeon 1 - 1 1 - 3
Software AG 5 15 2 8 19 1 50
Transporeon 7 16 1 - - - 24
Transwide 6 - 1 - - - 7
Transics 2
Total per region 146 83 162 83 110 12 596
Table 2: Number of offices per region
1.3 Vendor office locations
Majority of the offices of participating vendors are located in the regions: Western Europe, North America, and Middle East & Asia. The geographical spread of the vendors is such that 15 vendors have offices in more than three different regions.
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1.4 Number of employees
There is a significant difference in the number of employees among the vendors. The number of employees per region provides an indicator for the (home) market of the vendor, as well as their size.
Company:Western Europe
Central and Eastern Europe
USA & Canada
Latin America
Middle East & Asia
Australia
Amber Road - - - - - -
CDC Software - - - - - -
Constellation Software Inc. 30 0 200 10 5 75
E2open, Inc. - - - - - -
GT Nexus Inc. - - - - - -
IES Ltd. - - 55 - 7 -
Infodis Supply Chain Solutions 24 - - - - -
Informore BV 10 - - - - -
Kinaxis - - - - - -
Manhattan Associates 140 0 950 3 835 20
MP Objects 20 - 2 - 5 -
NetDespatch Limited 20 - - - - -
Oracle - - - - - -
RedPrairie Corp. 460 7 1488 16 241 21
ShipitSmarter.com 25 - 2 - 2 -
Softeon - - - - - -
Software AG - - - - - -
Transporeon 15 200 5 - - -
Transwide 55 - 2 - - -
Transics 280 0 0 0 0 0
Table 3: Number of employees per region
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Company:Global Turnover
in 2010 in €% of revenues gained by Supply
Chain Visibility software% of turnover invested in R&D
Amber Road Less than 100M Not Available Not Available
CDC Software 212.88 Mil USD Not Available Not Available
Constellation Software Inc. 571 million EUR 5% 16%
E2open, Inc. Not Available Not Available Not Available
GT Nexus Inc. Not Available Not Available Not Available
IES Ltd. 10 m 3 m 35%
Infodis Supply Chain Solutions
2.500.000 65% 8%
Informore BV Not Available 80% 8%
Kinaxis Not Available Not Available Not Available
Manhattan Associates 207 million Not Available 14%
MP Objects Not Available 100% 50%
NetDespatch Limited 3m Not Available 20%
Oracle 20.6 Billion Euro Not Available 12.5 %
RedPrairie Corp. US$261mm Not Available Not Available
ShipitSmarter.com Not Available 100% 20%
Softeon Not Available Not Available Not Available
Software AG 1.119,5 Mio Not Available Not Available
Transporeon Not Available Not Available Not Available
Transwide Not Available 100% +20%
Transics Not Available Not Available Not Available
Tabel 4: Financial Information
1.5 Financial information
The turnover of the participating vendors ranges from 2.5 million to 20,6 billion Euro. Several vendors only provide (dedicated) supply chain visibility solutions, whereas other vendors offer a wide range of other business/SCM solutions and services. The vendors that participated in this study are a mix of both types. The percentage of Research and Development (R&D) investments from the total turnover is a good indicator of the maturity and (potential) scope for development of a solution.
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1.6 Trends
When we asked the vendors to identify the different trends in the Supply Chain Visibility software market, they recurrently stated collaboration beyond the silos of a single firm and with other supply chain members. Companies seek to orchestrate their supply chain across functional and organizational boundaries. The second most important trend is the increase in demand for SaaS-solutions. This could be explained by the fact that SaaS-based solutions allow companies to plug into (Cloud) visibility solutions at lower costs due to more effective and flexible pricing models. Increased collaboration and willingness to share data among supply chain partners is also often mentioned by the vendors, citing the increased competitive pressure as the reason for this trend.
Trend Times mentioned
Visibility is taken beyond the company boundaries 7
In the market there is more and more demand for SaaS-solutions 6
Increased collaboration and information sharing is noticeable among firms 5
Pull strategies require more agile planning tools 5
Planning and execution converge 3
Companies seek increased control of their supply chain 3
Focus shifts from avoiding problems to identifying and responding to them, by using What-if-analysis 2
Table 5 - Recent trends in the market for visibility software
24
1.7 Capgemini Consulting opinion
The market for visibility solutions is still fragmented and embryonic
The number of implementations is a relevant indicator for the size of the market, however no real market leader can be identified. Five of the twenty selected vendors are responsible for 73% of the total number of implementations over the last three years. However, the complexity and size of the implementations itself is not considered. In terms of turnover there are several large players, but these players often have revenues from other business/ SCM solutions and services. Since one or two market leaders still need to develop dominant positions, this gives room for smaller companies and start-ups to gain or enter the market for visibility solutions.
Vendors see increased collaboration as the main trend
Visbility solutions are taken beyond the company boundaries and there is a larger need for SaaS solutions. A lot of focus has been on internal processes and as such we see that software solutions are becoming rather mature. Companies deal with a lot of partners and now extend the scope of their supply chain visibility solution beyond the gates of their own facilities.
25
Am
ber
Roa
d
CD
C S
oftw
are
Con
stel
lati
on S
oftw
are
Inc.
E2o
pen
, In
c.
GT
Nex
us
Inc.
IES
Ltd
.
Info
dis
Su
pply
Ch
ain
Sol
utio
ns
Info
rmor
e BV
Kin
axis
Man
hat
tan
Ass
ocia
tes
MP
Obj
ects
Net
Des
pat
ch L
imit
ed
Ora
cle
Red
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irie
Cor
p.
Ship
itSm
arte
r.co
m
Soft
eon
Soft
war
e A
G
Tra
nsp
oreo
n
Tra
nsw
ide
Tra
nsi
cs
Sector
Aerospace & Defense
Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Automotive Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Chemicals Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Consumer Electronics
Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
Engineering & Construction
Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No
Fashion Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No No
Food & Beverage
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No
Industrial Products
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
Life Science Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
Logistics Service Providers
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Table 6 - Specialization Overview
2. Overview by industry type/market
2.1 Specialization
Since requirements vary widely across industries, software vendors often choose to focus on specific areas of the market, in terms of industries and clients. This allows them to customize their product to specific needs within sectors instead of building a plain vanilla application to serve all.
A quarter of our respondents claim to specialize in every suggested sector. The other vendors choose to focus their offering on the most profitable markets such as Logistics Service Providers (LSPs). Furthermore, the industrial products and automotive markets are popular. Apart from the industries we proposed, companies also mentioned high-tech and retail as an industry focus. The software vendors exhibited the least interest in aerospace & defense and fashion industries.
With regard to the scope of the software solutions, just over half of the vendors serve every process of the supply chain as defined in the survey. Remarkably all solutions cover the inbound and outbound transport operations. When it comes to warehousing and manufacturing, a number of solutions do not provide visibility functionality. In addition, inventory management and returns management are also mentioned as functional scope by several but not all of the vendors.
26
Most vendors do not limit their product’s focus to a certain type of customer. Client focus is important because different types of customers have different (functional) requirements. Manufacturers are covered most widely by the software solutions.
Am
ber
Roa
d
CD
C S
oftw
are
Con
stel
lati
on S
oftw
are
Inc.
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pen
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us
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hai
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hat
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ects
Net
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cle
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itSm
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m
Soft
eon
Soft
war
e A
G
Tran
spor
eon
Tran
swid
e
Tran
sics
Supply Chain Scope
Inbound Transport
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Warehousing (Raw Materials)
Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No No
Manufacturing Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No No
Warehousing (Finished Goods)
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No No
Outbound Transport
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Table 7 - Specialization Overview
27
Am
ber
Roa
d
CD
C S
oftw
are
Con
stel
lati
on S
oftw
are
Inc.
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pen
, In
c.
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us
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Ltd
.
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dis
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ly C
hai
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tion
s
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ects
Net
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h L
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cle
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war
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G
Tran
spor
eon
Tran
swid
e
Tran
sics
Client Focus
Retailer Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No
LSP No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Manufacturer Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Table 8 - Specialization Overview
We asked our respondents where they implemented their software in the last 3 years. In total, almost 2000 implementations of supply chain visibility software have taken place. Of these 2000, over 950 implementations haven taken place at LSPs. This is not surprising, as most vendors have a client focus on these firms. It is interesting to see the variety across the software companies that most are active in one or just a few industries. The main difference lies in the (combination of) industries where they have done implementations. The number of supply chain visibility software implementations also gives an indication of the size of the software vendors in this field.
28
Am
ber
Roa
d
CD
C S
oftw
are
Con
stel
lati
on S
oftw
are
Inc.
E2o
pen
, In
c.
GT
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us
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Ltd
.
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dis
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ly C
hai
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tion
s
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hat
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ocia
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ects
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cle
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Soft
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spor
eon
Tran
swid
e
Tran
sics
Tota
l
Number of Implementations in the last 3 years
Aerospace & Defense
2 2 1 0 0 0 20 2 3 1 1 32
Automotive 4 15 3 5 1 5 1 20 1 8 21 84
Chemicals 5 0 8 2 4 2 20 0 7 18 22 88
Consumer Electronics 4 0 5 3 110 2 20 5 3 10 162
Engineering & Construction 2 1 0 1 0 1 20 25 4 26 8 88
Fashion 4 0 14 3 94 1 20 2 2 1 141
Food & Beverage 7 2 9 1 50 2 20 0 3 27 21 142
Industrial Products 3 1 6 2 47 5 20 40 2 2 15 143
Life Science 2 15 0 5 43 4 20 5 3 3 4 104
Logistics Service Providers 2 4 18 200 4 76 20 300 20 7 4 15 300 970
Table 9 - Specialization Overview
2.2 Capgemini Consulting Opinion
LSPs use Supply Chain Visibility to support their services
The type of software solutions in this report supports ‘4PL’ type of services, the direction in which many logistics providers are moving. We see that asset based logistics providers offer more and more services to their clients in pursuit of better profit margins. Visibility for the shipper is a typical added service that enables them to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Also the increased demands by their clients/shippers make it mandatory for the LSP to provide more information. Software vendors recognize this market development and target their products accordingly towards LSPs.
Manufacturers are looking to control their complex and global supply chains
At the other side of the market, manufacturers operate in very complicated supply chains due to globalization and the outsourcing of activities. Networks become increasingly complex, across multiple tiers and with many partners. Not only are distribution and returns activities outsourced, production is often not carried out by the brand owner. Software tools can support the manufacturers to regain control over the supply chain or network. In addition, visibility is especially important in industries where products are time critical, such as consumer electronics, fashion and food.
29
Company: Own staff Third party
Amber Road Yes Yes
CDC Software Yes Yes
Constellation Software Inc. Yes Yes
E2open, Inc. Yes Yes
GT Nexus Inc. Yes Yes
IES Ltd. Yes Yes
Infodis Supply Chain Solutions Yes Yes
Informore BV Yes Yes
Kinaxis Yes Yes
Manhattan Associates Yes Yes
MP Objects Yes Yes
NetDespatch Limited Yes Yes
Oracle Yes Yes
RedPrairie Corp. Yes Yes
ShipitSmarter.com Yes Yes
Softeon Yes Yes
Software AG Yes Yes
Transporeon Yes Yes
Transwide Yes Yes
Transics Yes Yes
Table 10 - Do you support implementation either with own staff or with third parties?
3. Professional services
3.1 Introduction
Professional services are services that are offered apart from the functional visibility solution. Services compared in this study can be important during and after implementation of a solution. The following services are offered; key-user support, technical support, customization services, system architecture integration services and business analytics services.
3.2 Implementation support
All vendors indicate they have implementation support and also use third parties that offer this support.
30
3.3 Services
Each vendor also offers key-user and technical support and 19 vendors offer customization support. Business analytics services are however not offered by all vendors.
Company: Key-User supportTechnical support
Customization services
System architecture integration
services
Business analytics services
Amber Road Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
CDC Software Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Constellation Software Inc. Yes Yes Yes Yes No
E2open, Inc. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
GT Nexus Inc. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
IES Ltd. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Infodis Supply Chain Solutions Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Informore BV Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Kinaxis Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Manhattan Associates Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
MP Objects Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
NetDespatch Limited Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Oracle Yes Yes Yes Yes No
RedPrairie Corp. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
ShipitSmarter.com Yes Yes Yes No No
Softeon Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Software AG Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Transporeon Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Transwide Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Transics Yes Yes No Yes No
Table 11 - Professional services offered by vendors
31
Company:
Training services to train the trainer
On-site training
Online training
(e-learning)
Training certification
Reference guides
Key-User manuals
Error handling manuals
Amber Road Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes
CDC Software No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Constellation Software Inc. Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
E2open, Inc. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
GT Nexus Inc. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
IES Ltd. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Infodis Supply Chain Solutions
Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
Informore BV Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes
Kinaxis Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Manhattan Associates Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
MP Objects Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
NetDespatch Limited Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Oracle Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
RedPrairie Corp. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
ShipitSmarter.com Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Softeon Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes
Software AG Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes
Transporeon Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Transwide Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
Transics Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Table 12 - Please indicate which training possibilities your company provides:
There are different possibilities offered for training:
Training services to train the trainer
On-site training
Online training (e-learning)
Training certification
Reference guides
Key User manuals
Error handling manuals
Online training (e-learning) and training certification are services which are not always offered by vendors.
32
3.4 Capgemini Consulting opinion
Vendors are looking for all different types of implementation support
All selected vendors in this study indicate they offer implementation support or allow third parties to do this. Third party support increases the coverage and improves the opportunities for selling visibility solutions. Additionally, visibility solutions require extensive collaboration within and between different companies. Third party implementation parties are often more capable of offering this kind of support.
New training methods such as e-learning are still not offered by all vendors
Key user manuals, technical and customization support are services that are common and are offered by all vendors. Traditional training methods, such as train the trainer, on-site training and key user manuals are offered by all vendors. Surprisingly, online training (E-learning) is not offered by all vendors yet.
33
Am
ber
Roa
d
CD
C S
oftw
are
Con
stel
lati
on S
oftw
are
Inc.
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pen
, In
c.
GT
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us
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.
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dis
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ly C
hai
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Soft
war
e A
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Tran
spor
eon
Tran
swid
e
Tran
sics
Number of implementations
On-premisis No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes - Yes No Yes No Yes
SaaS Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Cloud Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
All No Yes No Yes No Yes No No Yes No No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes
Table 13 - Cloud / SaaS
4. Technical Information
4.1 Introduction
This chapter focuses on the technical characteristics of the Supply Chain Visibility solution offered by the vendors who participated in our survey. We will focus on the current status of SaaS & Cloud offerings, provide details on the integration capabilities of the solutions and describe the different interfaces that are supported.
4.2 SaaS / Virtualization / Cloud
Software as a Service (SaaS) and Cloud Computing are growing trends in the IT world. Both trends are also relevant for the Supply Chain Visibility software market since they are based on leveraging internet technologies using a pay-for-services-delivered approach rather than on-premises solutions.
Supply Chain Visibility software aims at capturing, interconnecting, extracting and applying information from the supply chain in order to have different, and better, decision outcomes. Through SaaS and Cloud solutions, multi-enterprise supply chains/networks can be effectively interconnected without having to implement on-premises solutions at every link in the chain/network. The software is provided over the Internet and the payments are dependent on the usage.
In our survey, vendors were asked whether their solutions are installed on-premises or could be provided as a SaaS or Cloud solution. We see that most of the solutions support SaaS/Cloud technology. Remarkably, there are 5 vendors who solely support SaaS/Cloud and do not deliver on-premises solutions (anymore).
34
XM
L
ED
I
OD
BC
Oth
er (
plea
se s
peci
fy)
Supported functionalities
Amber Road Yes Yes No Flat file (delimited or positional)
CDC Software Yes Yes No
Constellation Software Inc.
Yes Yes Yes Flat file & proprietary formats
E2open, Inc. Yes Yes Yes All industry standard integration options are supported by the E2open solutions.
GT Nexus Inc. Yes Yes No
IES Ltd. Yes Yes No Flat File , CSV
Infodis Supply Chain Solutions
Yes Yes Yes
Informore BV Yes Yes Yes
Kinaxis Yes No YesSeveral packaged data messages such as EDI, IDocs, etc are on the roadmap for support in the next release, though this is still subject to change.
Manhattan Associates
Yes Yes Yes
MP Objects Yes Yes Yes RosettaNet Flatfile Excel
NetDespatch Limited
Yes Yes Yes XML web services, RESTFULL web services, EDIFACT etc
Oracle Yes Yes Yes
RedPrairie Corp. Yes Yes Yes
ShipitSmarter.com
Yes Yes Yes
Softeon Yes Yes Yes
Software AG Yes No Yes CSV, SAP ERP
Transporeon Yes Yes Yes many formats are applicable like e.g. i-doc
Transwide Yes Yes Yes can integrate with any format or protocol
Transics Yes No Yes webservices
Table 14 - Integration
4.3 Integration
As integration with other systems is essentialfor the Supply Chain Visibility software, it is not surprisingto see that XML, EDI and ODBC standards are supported by almost all vendors. In addition, flat files (.CSV) and other formats are also supported by several vendors.
35
Table 15 - Integration with other systems
Am
ber
Roa
d
CD
C S
oftw
are
Con
stel
lati
on S
oftw
are
Inc.
E2o
pen
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c.
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us
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.
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dis
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ly C
hai
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tion
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Soft
war
e A
G
Tran
spor
eon
Tran
swid
e
Tran
sics
Supported functionalities
WMS (Warehouse Mgt Systems)
ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)
TMS (Transport Mgt Systems)
APS (Advanced Planning & Scheduling)
GTM (Global Trade Mgt)
DW (Data Warehouse/Business Intelligence)
MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems)
Integrated part of software Optional module 3rd party interface N/A
Legend
We asked the vendors whether their solution is able to integrate with other types of systems, often used in business environments. The results show that most vendors provide this integration, but not always as an integrated part of their solution. Optional modules and third party interfaces are a common solution used in providing a higher level of integration. WMS, ERP and TMS integration are the most common for the vendors that have been analyzed, whereas APS, GTM, DW and MES integration are the least supported.
4.4 Interfaces
Supply Chain Visibility Software should be able to connect to other software systems in order to provide end-to-end supply chain visibility. We asked the vendors which interfaces with other software solutions are supported. A distinction between five types of interfaces is made:
1. Interfaces with Carriers / TMS solutions
2. Interfaces with 3PL / WMS solutions for inbound logistics
3. Interfaces with 3PL / WMS solutions for outbound logistics
4. Interfaces with Manufacturers / MES solutions
5. Interfaces with ERP solutions
For each type of interfaces, we asked the vendors which information flows were supported by default. Two types of arrows are used to indicate the direction of the flow:
Incoming flow of information, from an external system into the supply chain visibility software
Outgoing flow of information, from the supply chain visibility software to external systems
36
Table 16 - Interfaces
Am
ber
Roa
d
CD
C S
oftw
are
Con
stel
lati
on S
oftw
are
Inc.
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pen
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c.
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.
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dis
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Info
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Net
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Soft
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Soft
war
e A
G
Tran
spor
eon
Tran
swid
e
Tran
sics
Supported interfaces with Carriers/TMS
-> Customer booking request
Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No
<- Customer booking confirmation
Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No
-> Transport booking
Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No
<- Transport booking confirmation
Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No
-> Transport instruction
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No
<- Transport instruction confirmation
Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No
<- Transport order status, events: pick-up, delivery, etc.
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes
<- Transport costs
Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Interfaces with Carriers / TMS solutions
Most of the messaging is supported through interfaces. Outgoing transport instructions to Carriers / other TMS are supported by almost every solution. This also counts for the incoming messages on transport order status, transport related events, pick-up and delivery notifications etc. Incoming messaging regarding transportation costs is the least supported.
37
Table 17 - InterfacesA
mbe
r R
oad
CD
C S
oftw
are
Con
stel
lati
on S
oftw
are
Inc.
E2o
pen
, In
c.
GT
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us
Inc.
IES
Ltd
.
Info
dis
Supp
ly C
hai
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tion
s
Info
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e B
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axis
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hat
tan
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tes
MP
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ects
Net
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h L
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cle
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itSm
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Soft
eon
Soft
war
e A
G
Tran
spor
eon
Tran
swid
e
Tran
sics
Supported interfaces with 3PL/WMS/Inbound
-> Purchase order
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No
-> ASN/Despatch advice
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
<- Warehouse inbound order status
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
<- Goods received
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
<- Warehouse inbound order costs
Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Does the software support the following interfaces with 3PL/WMS/Inbound?
Inbound interfaces with 3PLs and Warehouse Management Systems are supported by most vendors. The results show two vendors with no support for these interfaces.
38
Table 18 - Interfaces
Am
ber
Roa
d
CD
C S
oftw
are
Con
stel
lati
on S
oftw
are
Inc.
E2o
pen
, In
c.
GT
Nex
us
Inc.
IES
Ltd
.
Info
dis
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ly C
hai
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tion
s
Info
rmor
e B
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hat
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ects
Net
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cle
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Soft
war
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G
Tran
spor
eon
Tran
swid
e
Tran
sics
Supported interfaces with 3PL/WMS/Outbound
-> Delivery order
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
<- Delivery order confirmation
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
-> Shipment info
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
<- Warehouse delivery order status, events: planned, released, picked, packed, shipped, etc.
Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
<- Goods issued or shipment notification
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
<- Warehouse delivery order costs
Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
<- Stock report Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
Does the software support the following interfaces with 3PL/WMS/Outbound:
Interfaces regarding the delivery order (confirmation) and shipment info are support by most systems. Warehouse delivery events and stock reporting are the least supported interfaces. One vendor does not support interfaces with outbound 3PL/WMS interfaces.
39
Table 19 - InterfacesA
mbe
r R
oad
CD
C S
oftw
are
Con
stel
lati
on S
oftw
are
Inc.
E2o
pen
, In
c.
GT
Nex
us
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IES
Ltd
.
Info
dis
Supp
ly C
hai
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tion
s
Info
rmor
e B
V
Kin
axis
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hat
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tes
MP
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ects
Net
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h L
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ed
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cle
Red
Pra
irie
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itSm
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m
Soft
eon
Soft
war
e A
G
Tran
spor
eon
Tran
swid
e
Tran
sics
Supported interfaces with Manufacturers/MES
-> Production order
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes No No No
<- Production order confirmation
Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No Yes No Yes No No No Yes No No No
<- Production order status, events: planned, released, produced, packed, shipped, etc.
Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No
<- Production order costs
Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No Yes No Yes No No No Yes No No No
Does the software support the following interfaces with manufacturers/MES:
Interfaces with manufactures/MES solutions are the least supported interface types compared to the interface types described earlier. Seven vendors do not support any interfaces presented in our survey and an additional four only partially support this. Production order status events are the best supported interfaces.
40
Table 20 - Interfaces
Am
ber
Roa
d
CD
C S
oftw
are
Con
stel
lati
on S
oftw
are
Inc.
E2o
pen
, In
c.
GT
Nex
us
Inc.
IES
Ltd
.
Info
dis
Supp
ly C
hai
n S
olu
tion
s
Info
rmor
e B
V
Kin
axis
Man
hat
tan
Ass
ocia
tes
MP
Obj
ects
Net
Des
patc
h L
imit
ed
Ora
cle
Red
Pra
irie
Cor
p.
Ship
itSm
arte
r.co
m
Soft
eon
Soft
war
e A
G
Tran
spor
eon
Tran
swid
e
Tran
sics
Supported interfaces with ERP
<- Item master data
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
<- Customer master data
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
<- Purchase order
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
<- ASN Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No
-> Order confirmation
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
-> Order status Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
-> Goods Received
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
-> Logistic costs
Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
<- Sales order Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
<- Delivery order
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
-> Order confirmation
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
-> Order status Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
-> Goods Issued
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
-> Logistic costs
Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Does the software support the following interfaces with ERP
ERP interfaces are supported by almost all vendors. One vendor providing the least interface functionalities only supports order related interfaces. These order related interfaces are supported by all vendors.
41
Table 21 - Languages
Am
ber
Roa
d
CD
C S
oftw
are
Con
stel
lati
on S
oftw
are
Inc.
E2o
pen
, In
c.
GT
Nex
us
Inc.
IES
Ltd
.
Info
dis
Supp
ly C
hai
n S
olu
tion
s
Info
rmor
e B
V
Kin
axis
Man
hat
tan
Ass
ocia
tes
MP
Obj
ects
Net
Des
patc
h L
imit
ed
Ora
cle
Red
Pra
irie
Cor
p.
Ship
itSm
arte
r.co
m
Soft
eon
Soft
war
e A
G
Tran
spor
eon
Tran
swid
e
Tran
sics
Supported functionalities
English Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Spanish Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
French Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
German Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Portugese Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
Chinese Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No
Russian Yes No No Yes Yes No No No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
4.8 Languages
The English language is supported by all vendors. For 3 vendors English is the only language that is supported by the software, whereas the others provide support for most of the languages. Portugese, Chinese and Russian are the least supported languages by the software vendors.
4.9 Capgemini Consulting’s opinion
SaaS and Cloud technology are the most suitable technological solutions for Supply Chain Visibility software due to their character, which focuses on integration and collaboration.
SaaS and Cloud solution are increasingly supported by vendors, due to an increase in collaboration and cross-firm integration over the recent years. Vendors are aware of the fact that on-premises solutions are not the most suitable for visibility software, because of the high implementation costs and often poor scalability. The costing structures of SaaS and Cloud solutions are able to offer customers a pay-per-click, pay-for-use, or similar cost structure that can lead to cost-savings and more flexible costing.
On premises solutions are losing ground
Several vendors do not (any longer) offer on-premises software and focus solely on Saas/Cloud solutions. Due to complex implementations, high costs and limited flexibility, companies no longer prefer running on-premesis solutions. Also the process of updating the systems is easier with software that runs in the Cloud.
Interface and integration functionalities are the heart of a Supply Chain Visibility solution
Interfaces and integration with other systems are well-supported functionalities in Supply Chain Visibility software and form the heart of these solutions. Integration/interfaces with ERP, TMS and WMS systems are often the best supported, since they “feed” the visibility software with most relevant business information. Other systems like MES, GTM and DW are sometimes not (yet) fully integrated but are likely to become increasingly important, since these will enlarge the scope of visibility within supply chains, to for example manufacturing operations and global trade management.
42
Table 22 - Functionality
Am
ber
Roa
d
CD
C S
oftw
are
Con
stel
lati
on S
oftw
are
Inc.
E2o
pen
, In
c.
GT
Nex
us
Inc.
IES
Ltd
.
Info
dis
Supp
ly C
hai
n S
olu
tion
s
Info
rmor
e B
V
Kin
axis
Man
hat
tan
Ass
ocia
tes
MP
Obj
ects
Net
Des
patc
h L
imit
ed
Ora
cle
Red
Pra
irie
Cor
p.
Ship
itSm
arte
r.co
m
Soft
eon
Soft
war
e A
G
Tran
spor
eon
Tran
swid
e
Tran
sics
Sourcing & Procurement
Order management
Planning & Forecasting
Event management
Intelligence
Cost Control
Integration
Collaboration
Workflow management
Trade management/compliance
5. Functionality
5.1 High level functionalities
Capgemini Consulting developed a functionality framework to group the different functional areas of visibility solutions. Some visibility solutions can integrate all functions within a company, whereas others only support certain processes. Another possibility is using third party software to fill gaps in the functional portfolio, so that information from more sources can be used in the same visibility solution. Third party software can complement visibility solutions.
Sourcing and Procurement: The ability to manage all kinds of supplier relations, contracts and tariffs.
Order Management: Management of orders from purchase to manufacturing and returns.
Planning and Forecasting: Allocating and planning transport, production and warehousing activities.
Event Management: Critical part of the solution, which allows the tracking and handling of exceptions.
Business Intelligence: Business Intelligence functions that enable decision making on aggregated data.
Cost Control: The process of monitoring costs through matching, self-billing and cost-reporting.
Integration: Linking the solution with other enterprise systems, either as integrated part or by interface.
Collaboration: Activities that allow for shared information and decision making with supply chain partners.
Workflow Management: Manage and define a series of tasks within an organization.
Global Trade Management/Compliance: Handling the global aspects of the supply chain such as finance, import/export duties and documents and taxes.
Legend
Yes, supported by current version
No not supported Third party software is used to support this functionality
Will be supported in the next release
43
Table 23 - Sourcing & Procurement Functionalities
Am
ber
Roa
d
CD
C S
oftw
are
Con
stel
lati
on S
oftw
are
Inc.
E2o
pen
, In
c.
GT
Nex
us
Inc.
IES
Ltd
.
Info
dis
Supp
ly C
hai
n S
olu
tion
s
Info
rmor
e B
V
Kin
axis
Man
hat
tan
Ass
ocia
tes
MP
Obj
ects
Net
Des
patc
h L
imit
ed
Ora
cle
Red
Pra
irie
Cor
p.
Ship
itSm
arte
r.co
m
Soft
eon
Soft
war
e A
G
Tran
spor
eon
Tran
swid
e
Tran
sics
Supported functionalities
Carriers - Relation Mgt
Carriers - Contract Mgt
Carriers - Tariff Mgt
Warehousing providers - Relation Mgt
Warehousing providers - Contract Mgt
Warehousing providers - Tariff Mgt
Manufacturers - Relation Mgt
Manufacturers - Contract Mgt
Manufacturers - Tariff Mgt
Suppliers - Relation Mgt
Suppliers - Contract Mgt
Suppliers - Tariff Mgt
Legend
Yes, supported by current version
No not supported Third party software is used to support this functionality
Will be supported in the next release
5.2 Detailed functionalities
The functions in the Capgemini Consulting framework, discussed earlier in Part I of this report, are still high level. When companies want to match their visibility requirement with the solution in the market, they might require more detailed information. To explore the depth of each functional area, we include the details of this information in this study.
1. Sourcing and Procurement
Sourcing and procurement functions are not supported to a great extent by most solutions. The aspect of Relation Management is supported the most, whereas Contract Management is often not supported. Interestingly, this functional gap is also not filled by third party software.
44
Table 24 - Order Management Functionalities
Am
ber
Roa
d
CD
C S
oftw
are
Con
stel
lati
on S
oftw
are
Inc.
E2o
pen
, In
c.
GT
Nex
us
Inc.
IES
Ltd
.
Info
dis
Supp
ly C
hai
n S
olu
tion
s
Info
rmor
e B
V
Kin
axis
Man
hat
tan
Ass
ocia
tes
MP
Obj
ects
Net
Des
patc
h L
imit
ed
Ora
cle
Red
Pra
irie
Cor
p.
Ship
itSm
arte
r.co
m
Soft
eon
Soft
war
e A
G
Tran
spor
eon
Tran
swid
e
Tran
sics
Supported functionalities
Purchase order mgt
Sales order mgt
Transport order mgt
Warehouse order mgt
Production order mgt
Returns mgt
Legend
Yes, supported by current version
No not supported Third party software is used to support this functionality
Will be supported in the next release
2. Order Management
Order Management functionalities are covered by most solutions.In the solutions that have their origin in TMS, we find less visibility on the other parts of Order Management.
45
Table 25 - Planning Functionalities
Am
ber
Roa
d
CD
C S
oftw
are
Con
stel
lati
on S
oftw
are
Inc.
E2o
pen
, In
c.
GT
Nex
us
Inc.
IES
Ltd
.
Info
dis
Supp
ly C
hai
n S
olu
tion
s
Info
rmor
e B
V
Kin
axis
Man
hat
tan
Ass
ocia
tes
MP
Obj
ects
Net
Des
patc
h L
imit
ed
Ora
cle
Red
Pra
irie
Cor
p.
Ship
itSm
arte
r.co
m
Soft
eon
Soft
war
e A
G
Tran
spor
eon
Tran
swid
e
Tran
sics
Supported functionalities
Inbound Transport Planning
Outbound Transport Planning
Warehouse Allocation/Planning (Raw materials)
Warehouse Allocation/Planning (Finished goods)
Production Allocation/Planning
Transport Mode Selection
Multi-Modal Transport Planning
3. Planning
When it comes to Planning functionality, there is a distinction between parties that have or do not have this feature in their application. Transport Planning is offered by most solutions, whereas Warehousing and Production are not covered by most solutions.
Legend
Yes, supported by current version
No not supported Third party software is used to support this functionality
Will be supported in the next release
46
Table 26 - Event Management Functionalities
Am
ber
Roa
d
CD
C S
oftw
are
Con
stel
lati
on S
oftw
are
Inc.
E2o
pen
, In
c.
GT
Nex
us
Inc.
IES
Ltd
.
Info
dis
Supp
ly C
hai
n S
olu
tion
s
Info
rmor
e B
V
Kin
axis
Man
hat
tan
Ass
ocia
tes
MP
Obj
ects
Net
Des
patc
h L
imit
ed
Ora
cle
Red
Pra
irie
Cor
p.
Ship
itSm
arte
r.co
m
Soft
eon
Soft
war
e A
G
Tran
spor
eon
Tran
swid
e
Tran
sics
Supported functionalities
Event registration
Event monitoring/tracking
Exception reporting
Exception handling
4. Event Management
Event Management is the backbone of a visibility solution, as it allows the monitoring of activities in the supply chain. However monitoring is just the start; reporting and handling are more advanced Event Management functions. It is no surprise that most vendors cover registration and tracking of events since these are basic functionalities. Reporting and handling are functionalities offered by all visibility solutions.
Legend
Yes, supported by current version
No not supported Third party software is used to support this functionality
Will be supported in the next release
47
Table 27 - Intelligence Functionalities
Am
ber
Roa
d
CD
C S
oftw
are
Con
stel
lati
on S
oftw
are
Inc.
E2o
pen
, In
c.
GT
Nex
us
Inc.
IES
Ltd
.
Info
dis
Supp
ly C
hai
n S
olu
tion
s
Info
rmor
e B
V
Kin
axis
Man
hat
tan
Ass
ocia
tes
MP
Obj
ects
Net
Des
patc
h L
imit
ed
Ora
cle
Red
Pra
irie
Cor
p.
Ship
itSm
arte
r.co
m
Soft
eon
Soft
war
e A
G
Tran
spor
eon
Tran
swid
e
Tran
sics
Supported functionalities
Management Dashboards
Data aggregration & analysis
What-if analysis
Performance mgt
5. Business Intelligence
Businesss intelligence is an important feature for using the data collected in all systems for decision making purposes. Dashboards and data analysis are the core functions in this field, but many companies implement what-if analysis which enable the user to track the impact of a decision.
Legend
Yes, supported by current version
No not supported Third party software is used to support this functionality
Will be supported in the next release
48
Table 28 - Intelligence Functionalities
Am
ber
Roa
d
CD
C S
oftw
are
Con
stel
lati
on S
oftw
are
Inc.
E2o
pen
, In
c.
GT
Nex
us
Inc.
IES
Ltd
.
Info
dis
Supp
ly C
hai
n S
olu
tion
s
Info
rmor
e B
V
Kin
axis
Man
hat
tan
Ass
ocia
tes
MP
Obj
ects
Net
Des
patc
h L
imit
ed
Ora
cle
Red
Pra
irie
Cor
p.
Ship
itSm
arte
r.co
m
Soft
eon
Soft
war
e A
G
Tran
spor
eon
Tran
swid
e
Tran
sics
Supported functionalities
Transport costs - Matching
Transport costs - Self-billing
Transport costs - Cost-reporting
Warehousing costs - Matching
Warehousing costs - Self-billing
Warehousing costs - Cost-reporting
Production costs - Matching
Production costs - Self-billing
Production costs - Cost-reporting
Materials costs - Matching
Materials costs - Self-billing
Materials costs - Cost-reporting
6. Cost Control
Cost Control functions are not present in most solutions. The field that is covered by most solutions is transportation costs. Production and material costs are conspicuously absent in most solutions, this is in line with the other functional support for these processes.
Legend
Yes, supported by current version
No not supported Third party software is used to support this functionality
Will be supported in the next release
49
Table 29 - Collaboration Functionalities
Am
ber
Roa
d
CD
C S
oftw
are
Con
stel
lati
on S
oftw
are
Inc.
E2o
pen
, In
c.
GT
Nex
us
Inc.
IES
Ltd
.
Info
dis
Supp
ly C
hai
n S
olu
tion
s
Info
rmor
e B
V
Kin
axis
Man
hat
tan
Ass
ocia
tes
MP
Obj
ects
Net
Des
patc
h L
imit
ed
Ora
cle
Red
Pra
irie
Cor
p.
Ship
itSm
arte
r.co
m
Soft
eon
Soft
war
e A
G
Tran
spor
eon
Tran
swid
e
Tran
sics
Supported functionalities
CPFR (Collaborative Planning, Forecasting & Replenishment)
Collaborative Inventory Mgt
Collaborative invoicing
Transport consolidation/collaboration
Warehouse collaboration
7. Collaboration
Most vendors offer Collaboration functionalities within their visiblity solutions. Transport consolidation and collaboration is the most supported functionality, followed by Warehouse collaboration. CPFR, Collaborative Inventory Management and Collaborative Invoicing are least supported. However, three vendors indicated that they are currently developing some of these functionalities; these will be supported from their next software release.
One vendor also supports Collaborative Order Management, Collaborative Logistics Visibility and Collaborative VMI/SMI modellings. Other collaboration functionalities offered by some vendors are query sharing and report sharing.
Legend
Yes, supported by current version
No not supported Third party software is used to support this functionality
Will be supported in the next release
50
Table 30 - Portals
Am
ber
Roa
d
CD
C S
oftw
are
Con
stel
lati
on S
oftw
are
Inc.
E2o
pen
, In
c.
GT
Nex
us
Inc.
IES
Ltd
.
Info
dis
Supp
ly C
hai
n S
olu
tion
s
Info
rmor
e B
V
Kin
axis
Man
hat
tan
Ass
ocia
tes
MP
Obj
ects
Net
Des
patc
h L
imit
ed
Ora
cle
Red
Pra
irie
Cor
p.
Ship
itSm
arte
r.co
m
Soft
eon
Soft
war
e A
G
Tran
spor
eon
Tran
swid
e
Tran
sics
Supported functionalities
Customer Portal
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
Supplier Portal Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No
LSP Portal Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
Carrier Portal Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
8. Integration
We asked the vendors to indicate whether they support different types of portals to connect their customers, suppliers, LSPs or carriers. Two vendors do not support portals at all, whereas thirteen vendors indicated they offer all four types of portals. Other supported portals that we came across are for services and stores.
51
Table 31 - Workflow Functionalities
Am
ber
Roa
d
CD
C S
oftw
are
Con
stel
lati
on S
oftw
are
Inc.
E2o
pen
, In
c.
GT
Nex
us
Inc.
IES
Ltd
.
Info
dis
Supp
ly C
hai
n S
olu
tion
s
Info
rmor
e B
V
Kin
axis
Man
hat
tan
Ass
ocia
tes
MP
Obj
ects
Net
Des
patc
h L
imit
ed
Ora
cle
Red
Pra
irie
Cor
p.
Ship
itSm
arte
r.co
m
Soft
eon
Soft
war
e A
G
Tran
spor
eon
Tran
swid
e
Tran
sics
Supported functionalities
Process definition tool
Work item management
Query management
Workload Balancing
Integration with other business applications
Integration with Outlook
Process optimization
9. Workflow Management
Integration with Microsoft Outlook is the least supported Workflow Management functionality within Supply Chain Visibility solutions. Query management and integration with other business applications is the most supported. Several vendors are working on expanding their Workflow Management functionalities in the next software release. Four vendors already offer all the Workflow Management functionalities and Amber Road will join these four after a new release.
Legend
Yes, supported by current version
No not supported Third party software is used to support this functionality
Will be supported in the next release
52
Table 32 - Trade Management Functionalities
Am
ber
Roa
d
CD
C S
oftw
are
Con
stel
lati
on S
oftw
are
Inc.
E2o
pen
, In
c.
GT
Nex
us
Inc.
IES
Ltd
.
Info
dis
Supp
ly C
hai
n S
olu
tion
s
Info
rmor
e B
V
Kin
axis
Man
hat
tan
Ass
ocia
tes
MP
Obj
ects
Net
Des
patc
h L
imit
ed
Ora
cle
Red
Pra
irie
Cor
p.
Ship
itSm
arte
r.co
m
Soft
eon
Soft
war
e A
G
Tran
spor
eon
Tran
swid
e
Tran
sics
Supported functionalities
Trade finance
Freight auditing
Letter of credit mgt
Document mgt
Import/export compliance
Party screening
Product classifications/item master
Landed cost engine
License determination
Trade agreements
Origin mgt
FTA
Tax and duty rates
10. Trade Management/Compliance
Trade Management is the least supported functional area within the different solutions. Three vendors indicate they use third party software and one vendor will support several Trade Management functionalities in their next release. Document Management, Production Classifications/Item Master and a Landed Cost Engine are the best supported functionalities. Freight Auditing and Origin Management are supported by roughly half of the vendors, whereas License Determination, Trade Agreements and FTA are the least supported.
Legend
Yes, supported by current version
No not supported Third party software is used to support this functionality
Will be supported in the next release
53
5.3 Capgemini Consulting’s opinion
Capgemini’s opinion
Sourcing and procurement, cost control and GTM functionalities are not (yet) supported by a significant amount of
vendors
A number of vendors do not support one of these functional areas at all, whereas several vendors only partly support them. Sourcing & Procurement functionalities regarding transportation are well supported in contrast with the manufacturing related sourcing & procurement functionalities. This is a result of the market demand for visibility that often starts at the transport function and where many parties are involved.
Always lead times, costs, inventory
Many companies are working towards a pull strategy and therefore they have to become more agile. Fast time–to-market, low inventory levels and excellent planning are needed. In this respect, visibility on leadtimes, costs and inventory levels are very important.
Event management, collaboration, business intelligence and workflow management functionalities are currently all
developed by 3 different vendors and supported in the next release
Event registration, and what-if analysis in particular, will be supported in the next release of several vendors. These developments confirm the increasing importance of event management, collaboration, BI, and workflow management within Supply Chain Visibility solutions.
54
Capgemini Consulting is the strategy and transformation consulting brand of Capgemini Group
The information contained in this document is proprietary. © 2012 Capgemini. All rights reserved.
Contacts
Rob van DoesburgGlobal Lead Logistics and Ful�llment GTMTel: +31 30 689 8514 Mob: +31 6 22 667 910 E-Mail: [email protected] www.capgeminiconsulting.nl
With around 120,000 people in 40 countries, Capgemini is one of the world’s foremost providers of consulting, technology and outsourcing services. The Group reported 2011 global revenues of EUR 9.7 billion. Together with its clients, Capgemini creates and delivers business and technology solutions that fit their needs and drive the results they want. A deeply multicultural organization, Capgemini has developed its own way of working, the Collaborative Business ExperienceTM, and draws on Rightshore®, its worldwide delivery model.
Learn more about us at www.capgemini.com.
Capgemini Consulting is the global strategy and transformation consulting organization of the Capgemini Group, specializing in advising and supporting enterprises in significant transformation, from innovative strategy to execution and with an unstinting focus on results. With the new digital economy creating significant disruptions and opportunities, our global team of over 3,600 talented individuals work with leading companies and governments to master Digital Transformation, drawing on our understanding of the digital economy and our leadership in business transformation and organizational change.
For more information: http://www.capgemini-consulting.com/
About Capgemini
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