Reinventing the Supply Chain Function

Workers in most companies live in two different ecosystems almost every day. A highly efficient retails customer experience driven by companies such as Amazon and Uber and a poor, archaic and inefficient experience within the walls of the enterprise they work for. Buying something online just takes a few clicks, the payment for the goods is very simple and straightforward, delivery information is available at their fingertips with frequent updates sent to their phone or email, and the returns process is easy. In contrast, buying something at work is complex, the invoicing and payment process is antiquated, visibility into the supply chain once an order is placed is mostly non-existent and the returns process is complicated. Old habits, poor process, and poorly configured and integrated systems are all to blame for this mess in the workplace. Working in such vastly different ecosystems has increased frustration in the work force and supported an accelerated case for change in the supply chain function.