Microsoft optimizes the supply chain with AI

With the aim of promoting a smart retail that uses technological solutions to help better understand its customers and offers a chain of agile and flexible supply, Microsoft has added new capabilities Artificial Intelligence and data analysis to Dynamics 365 which will allow retailers manage your data transversally, reliable and quick to take the right decisions at the right timeas well as detect problems and react in time.

Predict risks and improve visibility with AI-driven insights

Retailers have made great strides in 2021 to improve resilience in their supply chains, but always in a reactive way. The slow digitization of these prevents organizations from proactively facing the changing challenges of demand and supply. With the rise of e-commerce, it is imperative to have real-time visibility of inventory at every point in the supply chain, from the manufacturer to the loading ports, distribution centers, stores and finally the consumer. Brands manage to retain customers when they deliver orders quickly and consistently.

The version preview of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Insights offers organizations risk prediction in your supply chain based on news, weather or geopolitical events thanks to Artificial Intelligence, and anticipation of changes. A feature that allows decrease variability for adjust production times as much as possible and thus reduce costs.

Also, with this tool, retailers can create a digital representation of your physical supply chain. This allows them to simulate different scenarios throughout each link and make well-informed decisions to deal with any incident. Suppliers at any level can also be accessed to improve demand planning, ultimately ensuring a great shopping experience.

With the Microsoft solution, retailers can create a digital representation of their physical supply chain

Microsoft has also made significant improvements to the plugin Inventory Visibility for Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management. Retailers can now gain visibility into stock, in near real time and on the same platform, from all your internal channels and third-party chain systems. Being scalable, it provides companies with mechanisms to proactively mitigate out-of-stocks.

Also, retailers can take even more advantage of planning functionalities enhanced to easily prioritize orders. For example, they can put those who have little stock versus those who don’t. Likewise, they can streamline and streamline internal operations, such as receiving and replenishment, using the mobile warehouse management application. This makes it possible for distribution centers, warehouses and physical stores to take decisions about your inventory, such as transferring products from one location to another simply by scanning the items. This guarantees the business continuity across all locations despite latency or network issues at headquarters.

All Dynamics 365 supply chain solutions are not only interoperable with each other, but also as well work seamlessly with other ERP systemstrade and third-party logistics.

Process orders as a competitive advantage

Determining where and how inventory is filled – both online and in-store – is a critical factor in ensuring customer demands are met on time and profitably.

To achieve excellence, it is recommended to keep distribution center inventory separate from channel inventory, according to a Gartner® report. In this way, you can flexible use of inventory to meet online and in-store demand effectively. To achieve this level of adaptability, retailers need to run an order orchestration system. And in this sense, it is possible to take advantage of Artificial Intelligence and omnichannel inventory data in real time to proactively address restrictions and fulfill orders profitably on time and in full.