Shifting business environments are causing a growing number of IT managers to rethink
how they handle distribution management. Growing dependence on extended and diffuse
partner networks, for instance is creating new operational complexities that have
put a strain on traditional management practices, according to John Ferreira, the
industrial manufacturing practice leader at Stamford, Conn.-based Archstone Consulting.
IT managers are wrestling with how to integrate distribution management operations
in new geographies with a wide range of systems from ERP apps, to inventory management
and supply chain management packages. Pulling together information from a variety
of sources also carries with it security concerns, including access control.
So how can IT professionals respond to these new realities?
It helps to focus new distribution management technology initiatives on specific
areas and processes where you can drive near-term value. This keeps you from getting bogged
down in massive projects that won't yield results for another ten years.