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GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
SYSTEMS IN SUPPLY CHAIN
AND LOGISTICS
James Kopke, Implementation Manager, Trackmatic,
says that, while other industries have been enhancing
and streamlining their operations on functional and
profitable levels with the use of technology, the supply
chain has drifted behind.
T
he world of supply chain logistics has
been living in the past. Even today,
the biggest technology investment
from some South African supply chain
companies has been the introduction of
Microsoft Excel.
True, this software has been introduced into
operations to create a digital representation
of the department and its functionality, but
it’s hardly advanced nor is it cutting edge.
However, as more organisations realise how
their processes in supply chain and logistics
are behind the curve, they are starting to
focus their energy and resources into new
and innovative technologies and solutions.
They are recognising the importance of
www.intelligentcio.com
investing into ground-breaking technology
that can give them a competitive edge.
One arena that has seen significant
investment and attention is in the field of
Geographical Information Systems (GIS).
The volume of data at our fingertips from
modern day reporting and operations has
grown tremendously. The aim of GIS is
to allow this vast amount of data to be
visualised in an intuitive way so that it can
be interpreted intelligently. It is essential
that there are tools that allow us to make
sense of this data. GIS allows for this visual
data to be shown at speed. It represents
what is really going on in operations in
real time rather than delayed spreadsheet
“
THE AIM OF GIS IS
TO ALLOW THIS
VAST AMOUNT
OF DATA TO BE
VISUALISED IN AN
INTUITIVE WAY
SO THAT IT CAN
BE INTERPRETED
INTELLIGENTLY.
INTELLIGENTCIO
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