20 DC VELOCITY JUNE 2017 www.dcvelocity.com
newsworthy
Electronics design and product management company Jabil
Circuit Inc. has launched a platform that allows users to
collect supply chain data in one cloud-based hub and then
apply different algorithms in a bid to boost their efficiency.
The “InControl Supply Chain SaaS Decision Support”
platform can help users improve business outcomes by cutting inventory and time to market while reducing product
leadtimes and costs, Jabil said. The software-as-a-service
(SaaS) product will be available beginning in the third
quarter, and the consulting firm PwC will provide managed
services and training for customers.
The system works by consolidating data from sources
such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), warehouse
management system (WMS), and transportation management system (TMS) software platforms, as well as
third-party content such as weather and geo-mapping
information.
Users can then look for patterns in that data by deploying up to five different modules that apply analytics and
machine learning tools, according to Jabil. The suite’s five
application modules are supply chain visibility, event risk,
design for supply chain, risk management, and supply chain
diagnostics.
Jabil said it plans to develop additional applications at a
later date.
Jabil created the system as an in-house “intelligent con-
trol” platform designed to identify cost-savings opportuni-
ties in its own supply chain, Ross Valentine, Jabil’s senior
director for the intelligent digital supply chain, said in an
interview. It has now packaged the software as a standalone
commercial product, Valentine said.
“When you unwrap this from the box, it’s like unwrapping a supply chain expert and a data scientist who can do
all the background work and then hand you a checklist
saying ‘Here are the things you need to do this week,’”
Valentine said.
The system is designed to examine the broad impact
of strategic and operational decision-making, instead of
suggesting “point solutions” that might have different
impacts on each department in the company, Valentine
said. “We bring it all together in one place, because it’s so
easy to make supply chain difficult when you put demand
numbers in front of some people, supply numbers in front
of other people, shortage numbers in front of other people,
and location information in front of other people,” he said.
This is Jabil’s latest attempt to launch a product that
brings digital analysis to the supply chain. In April, the
company teamed up with SAP SE, UPS Inc., and HP Inc. to
create a 3-D printing service known as “distributed manufacturing.”
—B.A.
Jabil launches decision-
support tool
go figure …
$9 billion
The annual cost to the trucking industry of weath-er-related delays.
SOURCE: THE WEATHER CO.
Sam’s Club has named Saddle Creek Logistics Services
as its 2016 3PL Service Provider of the Year. … Dayton
Freight Lines Inc. has received the 2016 LTL Carrier of the
Year award from Penske Logistics. … Werner Enterprises
was selected for the 2017 Distinguished Service Award
by the Military Officers Association of America for its
efforts in support of military veterans and veteran
spouses through its Operation Freedom hiring program.
… Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd. has honored tem-
perature-controlled warehousing specialist Americold
with its Business Partner of the Year – Supply Chain
2016 award. … The organization Achieving Women’s
Excellence in Supply Chain Operations, Management
and Education (AWESOME) has presented its Legendary
Leadership award to two supply chain leaders: Francesca
DeBiase, chief supply chain and sustainability officer at
McDonald’s Corp., and Kristin French, retired brigadier
general, U.S. Army, and principal deputy assistant sec-
retary of defense (logistics and materiel readiness), U.S.
Department of Defense. … IWLA has announced that
technology companies Nulogy, Southeast Solutions, and
Zethcon are the winners of the 2017 IWLA Innovation
Contest. … Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazine
has presented Yale Materials Handling Corp. with its
2016 SDCE Green Supply Chain Award for Yale’s inno-
vative alternative power solutions, which are capable of
meeting strict environmental regulations and helping
reduce energy costs.
accolades
