Although tracking supply chain events is essential, the long-term goal should be much more narrowly focused than it is at present.  This forward-looking goal should be to turn information visibility into a competitive asset to uncover trends, root causes of problems, understand how costs accrue along the supply chain, and be able to respond timely to supply chain disruptions. In doing this, it is critical to ensure that the data used for analysis is accurate and complete and that the appropriate analytical tools have been put in place.

-Nari Viswanathan, research director at AberdeenGroup