Amazon Web Services Inc. (AWS), the cloud-computing arm of Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), on Tuesday launched a supply chain management application that will stop companies from buying several Systems and providers to access critical networks use data.
The application, called AWS Supply Chain, was presented at the AWS re:Invent conference in Las Vegas. According to AWS, the machine learning-based application automatically combines and analyzes data across multiple supply chain systems, creating a so-called “unified data lake”.
Currently, organizations that want real-time visibility into their network need to build custom integrations across a range of supply chain and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. According to AWS, these projects require expensive third-party engagements and long-term development cycles. Additionally, these disparate systems struggle to recognize patterns that reveal supply chain issues as they arise, AWS said.
“Without real-time context, organizations rely on outdated information or best guesses, making it difficult to effectively respond to unexpected problems. Even once a company has identified the most serious issues and decided what to do next, supply chain teams often coordinate resolution across multiple phone calls and emails — without all the information needed to resolve the issue,” AWS said in a statement to announce the launch.
The new application allows users to extract and aggregate data from multiple ERP and supply chain management systems, according to AWS. The application then maps the information and highlights the current inventory selection and quantity at each location, the Amazon entity said.
“Inventory managers, demand planners, and supply chain leaders can view machine learning-generated insights about potential inventory shortages or delays and create watchlists to receive alerts to take action when risks arise,” AWS said. Once a risk is identified, the application offers recommended actions such as moving inventory between locations, the entity said.
The application calculates the effectiveness of remedial actions based on risk, distance between facilities and sustainability impact, AWS said.
The traditional approach of connecting data between disparate supply chain solutions has “put the brakes on [users’] Ability to quickly identify and respond to potential supply chain disruptions,” said Diego Pantoja-Navajas, vice president of AWS Supply Chain, in the statement. The new application “aggregates this data and provides visual, interactive dashboards that provide the insights and recommendations customers need to take action for more resilient supply chains,” he said.
