Objective
Quantitative research on lessons learned by supply chain leaders during the pandemic.
Summary
We designed the research to answer four questions.
- Did innovative companies perform better during the pandemic? Yes, mid-way through the pandemic in September-October 2020, a more innovative manufacturing company rated themselves significantly better on agility and responsiveness at an 80% confidence level.
- Were companies that were better at planning perform better during the pandemic? The answer is yes. If the company had mature capabilities in order-promising processes, production scheduling, and Sales and Operations (S&OP) planning, they rated themselves significantly more agile.
- Did the choice of planning systems matter? The answer is yes. Manufacturers using the SAP platform (ERP plus APO or IBP) rated themselves as less successful in executing S&OP plans during the pandemic (at an 80% confidence level).
- What can we learn from the pandemic response to share more widely with supply chain leaders? During the pandemic, in 75% of manufacturing organizations, collaboration across functions and roles improved in ways that were not possible before. The call to action aligned the organization and closed the gaps between functions to ensure business continuity. The question is will this redefine work post-pandemic?
