After years of disruptive global events, supply chain visibility has become a pressing priority for many companies — and an opportunity for big tech. We look at how Microsoft hopes to beat its rivals to the punch.
Digitization efforts across the supply chain have created a wealth of data that supply chain leaders want to leverage for visibility, procurement, and planning.
But hiring for the skills needed to tap into this opportunity can be difficult — 99% of supply chain leaders have said they need more in-house digital talent, according to a McKinsey survey. Microsoft wants to bridge this gap — and, in doing so, place itself at the center of companies’ supply chain operations.
For example, the company recently released its Supply Chain Platform, which helps analyze how goods are moving through the supply chain and builds off already existing Microsoft offerings like Azure AI, Dynamics 365, and Teams. This approach reflects Microsoft’s broader tactic in this space of targeting companies that are already using its enterprise products, potentially reducing implementation friction and making its tech an easier sell to risk-wary supply chain managers. But competition is fierce from other big tech players, including Google and logistics wizard Amazon.
