MPO Blog Why You Must Think Differently About Supply Chain Technology Strategy

At CSCMP, SupplyChainBrain sat down with MPO co-founder and CEO, Martin Verwijmeren to break down the "multi-multi" supply chain complexity problem. "Many companies these days are facing a different environment, different dynamics," Martin explains, referring to the increasing recognition that organizations today operate as part of an ever-expanding ecosystem. Often referred to as multi-enterprise supply chain business networks, these partnerships represent a fraction of the 'multi-multi' complexity businesses struggle with today. Martin goes on to explain that "companies need to serve multiple sales channels, multiple stores, multiple sites, multiple warehouses, multiple factories, multiple suppliers, multiple sourcing flows and so on." This, in addition to operating across multiple countries having multiple currencies and needing to collaborate across multiple languages.It's a complex structure that is often unpredictable in nature. Partners cannot always be relied on, and issues of inflation, material shortages, and rising logistics costs serve to further complicate matters. However, Martin's view is a unique and highly optimistic one: The businesses that find lasting success are those that embrace complexity.