SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
When we present product information , our mantra is “ How do we help them get to that solution with three clicks or less ?” That is an aspiration - it will take us the rest of our careers to get to three clicks , but we are driving toward simplicity in finding that information .
Digitalise to globalise
As supply chains and production processes become increasingly complex , our business must be equally agile . We are currently building AI-enabled tools that can predict customer needs and communicate these to them , for example , if they are running low on a particular ingredient and need to reorder , or if they have reordered , whether they might consider a newly released , more advanced alternative . If they have ordered Product A , they are probably mixing it with Products B and C and perhaps need to reorder those as well . Facilitating suppliers ’ and customers ’ evolution also means keeping them apprised of changes in technology , production processes and consumer behaviour with easily accessible online information . As AI algorithms become more sophisticated , we are also using them to anticipate the future interests of suppliers and customers . What will they be thinking about in six months or in three years , and how can we help them realise their visions faster ? Even for highly skilled chemists , it can take six months to a year to develop a new formula and put it through stability testing . But what if a customer calls , saying they want to get a jump on the market by putting a new product on the shelf in three months ’ time ? Using AI , we can better predict consumer behaviour , experimental outcomes in the lab and regulatory changes . As we build out our business globally , we are making strategic use of digital solutions to synergise the efforts of all our globally distributed assets : supply chains and logistics , labs and solution centres , e-commerce storefronts and other customer service platforms . This helps suppliers and customers alike . When a supplier launches a new product , we can share that announcement instantly with the wider global audience . When a customer needs to know about regional consumer trends or regulatory changes , we can get them that data this morning , not this afternoon or tomorrow . As a global player in chemical and ingredients , we have major solution centres on five continents that serve as a hub-and-spoke model
of collaboration . Using cloud-based platforms and fully digitalised research records , we can instantly share key findings and formulations across a full network of regional development labs and kitchens . This allows us to fully support any supplier or customer at a moment ’ s notice , no matter where they are in the world . This ranges from something as simple as sharing electronic lab notebooks to searching a report for data that can help a customer order the right product . Five years ago , we seldom had suppliers coming to us with a material and asking , “ Can you tell me what I can do with this ?” or “ Can you formulate a product that contains this ?” Today , that is happening regularly . For us , this feels revolutionary . It means we are succeeding at developing truly consultative partnerships with both global strategic suppliers and customers . •
Univar Solutions
k + 1 877 509 5915 J getstarted @ univarsolutions . com j www . univarsolutions . com
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