Predictions 2023: Logistics 'a differentiator' - SAP

The following are predictions for supply chain and procurement from three senior executives from SAP, the multinational enterprise resource planning software solutions company.

Muhammad Alam, President & Chief Product Officer, Intelligent Spend and Business Network, SAP 

“During the past two years of continuous disruption companies were forced to realise the necessity of supply chain visibility. As they shift to building more proactive strategies, they will make plans to adopt new technology to achieve such visibility, helping them build resiliency within their organisation. 

“User experience will also remain a top priority for companies, allowing employees to accomplish the tasks they need across their spend management applications. 

“As we look ahead, data insights and intelligence will also play a significant role helping end users do their jobs more effectively to deliver more value to an organisation. 

Skill shortages will remain a concern amongst many industries, however finding, onboarding, developing, and retaining talent is what’s going to differentiate the successful organisations from the ones that aren’t.” 

Jeff Collier, Chief Revenue Officer, Intelligent Spend and Business Network, SAP 

“As we approach 2023, it’s clear that the world’s business leaders will continue to grapple with economic, political, and environmental uncertainty. The good news is, dealing with uncertainty does not mean operating our businesses blindly. 

“Digitalised procurement processes, data visualisation, and business networks have ushered in a new era of visibility, collaboration, and strategic decision making. With the right technology, procurement and supply chain professionals have access to an integrated view of total spend across their enterprise and deep visibility into their supply chain. 

“This enables improved inventory management, predictable lead times, more efficient sourcing of supply, and cost savings. It also helps them tackle some of their most complex challenges, like achieving sustainability compliance, and building long-term resilience for their business.” 

“Interestingly, inbound and outbound logistics continue to emerge as key competitive differentiators to drive efficiency, control cost, and earn customer loyalty. 

Tony Harris, Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing and Solutions Officer, SAP Business Network 

“In 2023, market conditions and inflation will remain volatile as a new paradigm impacts interrelated supply chains. This is driving businesses to focus on fundamentals like controlling costs and finding new revenue. 

“Meanwhile, governments, employees, and consumers are elevating ESG to a higher priority. These factors are driving buyers to diversify their supply chains, creating opportunities for suppliers to ‘shine brighter’ by highlighting their presence and value, and their ESG credentials. 

“Interestingly, inbound and outbound logistics continue to emerge as key competitive differentiators to drive efficiency, control cost, and earn customer loyalty. 

“Business networks offer transparency, access to working capital, and connection that enable buyers and suppliers to address disruption collaboratively and build supply chain resilience. 

“In 2023, organisations should look to leverage robust business networks adapted to their industry ꟷ not just generic solutions.”