2018年是供应链的丰收年。全球各地的公司都找到了通过供应链数字化转型来增加收入(而不仅仅是削减成本)的方法。客户对交付的准确性、个性化和时间的要求更高，期望也更高。日常任务的自动化变得司空见惯，新的技术，如人工智能/机器学习(AI/ML)和区块链得到应用。

2018 was a banner year for supply chains. Companies across the globe found ways to grow revenue (not just cut costs!) through the digital transformation of their supply chains. Customers demanded more, and expected more, in terms of delivery accuracy, personalization and timing. Automation of routine tasks became commonplace and new technologies, like Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) and Blockchain, were deployed.

2019年我们能看到什么?我们还会看到更多这样的情况吗?企业是在加速前进还是在失去动力?

What can we expect to see in 2019? Will we see more of the same? Are companies picking up speed or losing momentum?

在数字供应链研究所，我们与近100家公司就数字供应链问题进行了合作。2018年，我们与业界领先的公司——-Lockheed Martin公司、戴尔公司、Corning公司和SAP公司进行了合作。我们与Anastasia公司(总部位于Santiago的领先人工智能公司)、MVP工作室(总部位于Belgrade的区块链公司)和Chain IQ公司(总部位于Zurich的采购公司)等小公司进行了会面。我们还与安德玛(Under Armour)、艾瑞森(Aricent)、高露洁-棕榄(Colgate-Palmolive)和利丰(Li & Fung)等创新型公司合作过。

At the Digital Supply Chain Institute, we have worked with nearly 100 companies on Digital Supply Chain issues. In 2018, we collaborated with companies that lead their industry--Lockheed Martin, Dell, Corning, and SAP. We met with smaller companies like Anastasia (a leading Santiago-based AI firm), MVP Workshops (a Belgrade-based Blockchain company), and Chain IQ (a Zurich-based procurement company). And we spent time with innovative companies like Under Armour, Aricent, Colgate-Palmolive and Li & Fung.

这并不是说我们对未来的预测是万无一失的，尤其是对2019年的预测；但我们的研究确实提供了一个独特的视角，来评估推动企业前进的潮流，以及导致其他企业步履蹒跚、失去动力的逆风。有一件事是肯定的：:每家公司都将在未来一年应对这些趋势中的一部分。

This doesn’t mean that we are a foolproof source of truth about the future in general or 2019 in particular, but our work does provide a unique vantage point to assess the currents that are carrying companies forward—and the headwinds that are causing others to falter and lose momentum. One thing is certain: Every company will navigate some, if not all, of these currents in the coming year.

以下是我们对2019年表现最好的公司将采取的五大供应链行动的看法，这些行动旨在扩大它们在市场中的领导地位。把其中一项或全部列在本年计划清单上:

Here is our view of the top five supply chain actions that the best-performing companies will undertake in 2019 to extend their leadership position in the marketplace. Put one or all of them on your list of resolutions for the New Year:

01

有目的的空前合作(尤其在数据共享方面）。顾问们数十年来一直在寻求合作，但现在我们有了真正的动机来改变我们的行为。如果没有公司内部的合作(例如，营销和运营)，没有与供应商和客户的合作，建立一个数字供应链是不可能的。在2019年，成功的公司将致力于一些需要公司和部门之间认真合作的事情，比如“数据交易”，即公司用私有数据交换另一家公司拥有的数据。例如，服装制造商可能会将其销售趋势数据与零售商的数据进行交换，后者可以获得谁在该店实际购物的信息。公司还将组建跨职能团队需求委员会——利用真实数据做出预测和规划决策。

Unprecedented collaboration with a purpose. Consultants have yapped about collaboration for decades, but now we have a real incentive to change our behavior. Without collaboration within a company (e.g., Marketing and Operations) and without collaboration with suppliers and customers, building a Digital Supply Chain is simply not possible. In 2019, successful companies will work on things that require serious collaboration between companies and departments like “data-trading,” where companies swap proprietary data for data owned by another company. For example, an apparel maker may trade its sales trend data for a retailer’s data about who is actually making the purchase in the store. Companies will also form cross-functional teams—Demand Councils--that use real data to make forecast and planning decisions.

02

人员维度的大规模重组。研究表明，采用数字供应链战略可以增加10%的收入。但要做到这一点，需要员工具备不同的技能。公司将需要更多的数据科学家和数据管理员，更多了解客户体验和客户选择的人。同时需要一支基于数据而不仅仅是凭直觉做出决策的员工队伍和执行团队。2019年，公司将聘用数据科学家，收购数据科学公司，并对员工进行基于数据的决策方面的大规模培训。

A massive retooling of the people dimension. Our research shows that deploying a Digital Supply Chain strategy can increase revenue by 10 percent. But getting this done will require a different skill set in the workforce. Companies will need more data scientists and data stewards. We need more people who understand the customer experience and customer choices. And we need a workforce and executive team that makes decisions based on data, not just intuition. In 2019, companies will hire data scientists, acquire data science companies and undertake massive training of the workforce on data-based decision making

03

算法的广泛使用。对于一个公司的成功来说，没有什么比建立正确的算法并使用AI/ML技术支持它们更重要的了。算法将使公司每天都变得更聪明——并显著提高客户满意度，从而帮助他们获得市场份额。算法的竞争已经开始，公司必须解决上面的前两个要点来有效地部署算法。

Widespread use of algorithms. There is nothing more important to a company’s success than building the right algorithms and supporting them with AI/ML technology. Algorithms will make the company smarter every day—and dramatically improve customer satisfaction and thus help them gain market share. The algorithm race is already on and companies will have to address the first two bullet points above to effectively deploy algorithms.

04

后退一步，深入区块链。区块链曾被吹捧为比互联网还大，但现在却让一些人感到失望。不管你听说过什么，区块链并不比互联网大。它并不比所有数据库和网络安全工具更好。但有时确实如此。企业在进行供应链试点项目时浪费了金钱和时间，却没有首先考虑区块链是否适合这项任务，或者他们能得到什么回报。没有一家扩大规模。今年的重点将是让企业忘记炒作，运用常识，加强衡量、问责，也将对供应链产生重大影响的地方应用区块链。

Step back and dive deep on Blockchain. The pendulum is swinging on Blockchain, once touted as bigger than the Internet, now seen as a disappointment by some. Despite what you’ve heard, Blockchain is not bigger than the Internet. It is not better than all databases and cyber security tools. Except sometimes it is. Companies have wasted money and time conducting supply chain pilot projects without first accessing if Blockchain is appropriate for the task or what return they can expect. None have scaled up. The big focus this year will be for companies to forget the hype, apply common sense and strengthen measurement, accountability and apply Blockchain where it can and will have a big impact on the supply chain.

05

使其个性化。 供应链负责人一直希望每辆汽车都是黑色的，每辆模型都一样。但是在2019年，公司将最终实现个性化的力量。这意味着供应链和产品开发将必须采取细分的方法。 例如，在某些情况下，供应链将为单个购买者采购，制造和交付产品。在其他情况下，这些“个人”产品实际上可能针对更广泛但特定的消费者群体。

Make it personal. Supply chain leaders always want every car to be black and every model to be the same. But in 2019, companies will finally realize the power of personalization. That means supply chain and product development will have to take a segmented approach. For example, a supply chain in some of cases would source, manufacture and deliver products for an individual buyer. In other cases, these “personal” products may actually be aimed at a broader, yet specific segment of consumers.

上述五项举措将主导2019年的供应链剧本。当然，还有很多其他的事情会发生。但是你会发现你所在行业的公司(B2B或B2C)会利用这五个解决方案中的一个或多个。

The five actions above will dominate supply chain playbooks in 2019. Sure, lots of other things will happen too. But you will find companies in your industry (B2B or B2C) making a play on one or more of these five resolutions. 

文章转载自 广东省采购与供应链协会