Complex Supply Chains Need Decision Shapers

With current economic and geopolitical uncertainties, and an evolving business landscape, organizations are struggling to drive better, faster and more aligned decisions.This level of complexity and heightened expectations drive business executives and decision makers to often rely on their intuition and experience to make rapid business decisions. This approach may fail to thoroughly evaluate alternative options and their potential impacts, resulting in a less effective decision-making process.At Gartner Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo, we spoke with Noha Samara, Senior Director, Analyst at Gartner, to learn why supply chain planning leaders hold the key to guiding and shaping better business outcomes through their unique position within the business, but only if they are willing to proactively evolve their roles.Members of the media who would like to speak with Noha can email justin.lavelle@gartner.com to set up an interview.

A: Supply chain planning (SCP) leaders are the architects of decision-making processes that span the entire organization. Through their involvement in Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) and Sales and Operations Execution (S&OE), they bring together diverse stakeholders to make critical business decisions.Supply chain planning is fundamentally about orchestrating, driving, and shaping decisions across the organization, even when the supply chain leaders themselves are not the final decision-makers. This requires a shift in mindset, from being mere facilitators to embracing their role as “Decision Shapers.” These leaders create significant business impact by guiding the decision-making process, ensuring that executives make informed and strategic choices.As Decision Shapers, SCP leaders:

Analyze data and convert it into actionable insights
Transform insights into intelligent decisions that align with the organization’s goals
Effectively communicate these decisions throughout the organization, using data-driven storytelling to influence and drive optimal business outcomes leading to a real impact

Q: How can SCP leaders effectively extract meaningful business insights amid growing data overload?

A: Growth in technology has resulted in a proliferation of new data sources and metrics. As one example, organizations reported tracking 50% more metrics in their S&OP processes in 2024, compared to 2018.Unfortunately, just accessing more data doesn’t automatically lead to better insights. In many cases it can have a negative effect, where leaders overwhelmed by data revert to gut instincts.In embracing their role as Decision Shapers, SCP leaders can cut through data overload with three key strategies:

Focus on End-to-End Data: They look beyond isolated metrics and prioritize comprehensive data that provides a holistic view of the business. They understand how different metrics relate to each other and the organization’s strategic objectives.

Prioritize Trade-Off Understanding: They build business acumen within their teams, combining technical skills with a deep understanding of the organization’s strategy and the broader business environment. This holistic perspective aids in making informed decisions that align with company goals.

Learn from Past Decisions: They analyze previous outcomes, identifying what worked and what didn’t. This continuous learning process leverages both data and human experience, enabling smarter decision-making in the future.

Q: What shifts do supply chain planners need to make in working with AI, and how can the technology support them in evolving their roles?

A: To better incorporate AI, supply chain planners need to embrace a culture of continuous learning and adaptability. It’s not just about having the technical tools; it’s about understanding where AI can truly add value and being open to experimenting with new approaches.In the successful cases, teams were willing to experiment and align use cases to the tool’s known strengths, such as intelligent searching, summarization and content generation. In this way, AI becomes a partner in helping to shape decisions, by leveraging insights from vast amounts of data in minutes, rather than hours or days.

Q: How does effective communication help shape business decisions, and how can SCP leaders enhance their communication strategies?

A: Simply presenting data isn’t enough; SCP leaders must weave insights into compelling narratives that resonate emotionally with their audiences. This makes the information memorable and impactful, turning complex data into actionable intelligence.Decision Shapers excel by understanding their audience and tailoring their messages accordingly by leveraging storytelling principles. They grasp the priorities of decision makers, and craft narratives that speak directly to their concerns (e.g. profitability for commercial leaders, or efficiency for supply chain managers).In acting as Decision Shapers, SCP leaders meet their audience where they are, ensure their messages are not only heard but acted upon, facilitating faster and smarter decision-making.Gartner clients can read more in How Supply Chain Planning Leaders Can Evolve to Shape Impactful Decisions. Nonclients can learn more in What Is Supply Chain Planning, and What Are the Business Benefits?

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