• Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Supplier Directory
  • SCB YouTube
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Logout
  • My Profile
  • LOGISTICS
    • Air Cargo
    • All Logistics
    • Express/Small Shipments
    • Facility Location Planning
    • Freight Forwarding/Customs Brokerage
    • Global Gateways
    • Global Logistics
    • Last Mile Delivery
    • Logistics Outsourcing
    • LTL/Truckload Services
    • Ocean Transportation
    • Rail & Intermodal
    • Reverse Logistics
    • Service Parts Management
    • Transportation & Distribution
  • TECHNOLOGY
    • All Technology
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud & On-Demand Systems
    • Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain)
    • ERP & Enterprise Systems
    • Forecasting & Demand Planning
    • Global Trade Management
    • Inventory Planning/ Optimization
    • Product Lifecycle Management
    • Sales & Operations Planning
    • SC Finance & Revenue Management
    • SC Planning & Optimization
    • Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
    • Supply Chain Visibility
    • Transportation Management
  • GENERAL SCM
    • Business Strategy Alignment
    • Education & Professional Development
    • Global Supply Chain Management
    • Global Trade & Economics
    • HR & Labor Management
    • Quality & Metrics
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • SC Security & Risk Mgmt
    • Supply Chains in Crisis
    • Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility
  • WAREHOUSING
    • All Warehouse Services
    • Conveyors & Sortation
    • Lift Trucks & AGVs
    • Order Fulfillment
    • Packaging
    • RFID, Barcode, Mobility & Voice
    • Robotics
    • Warehouse Management Systems
  • INDUSTRIES
    • Aerospace & Defense
    • Apparel
    • Automotive
    • Chemicals & Energy
    • Consumer Packaged Goods
    • E-Commerce/Omni-Channel
    • Food & Beverage
    • Healthcare
    • High-Tech/Electronics
    • Industrial Manufacturing
    • Pharmaceutical/Biotech
    • Retail
  • THINK TANK
  • WEBINARS
    • On-Demand Webinars
    • Upcoming Webinars
    • Webinar Library
  • PODCASTS
  • VIDEOS
  • WHITEPAPERS
Home » Blogs » Think Tank » It’s Time to Address the Poor Quality of Supply Chain Data

Think Tank
Think Tank RSS FeedRSS

It’s Time to Address the Poor Quality of Supply Chain Data

LEGISLATION COMPLIANCE REGULATION iStock-897710992.jpg
September 7, 2022
Natalie Grillon, SCB Contributor

The reality of global supply chains in recent years has been a sorry affair, but there’s reason for hope.

By their nature, supply chains are notoriously messy, complex and opaque. Fundamental issues remain hidden in the shadows, whether they be child and forced labor, deforestation or the impact of climate change. The outsourcing of production results in a lack of responsibility for poor conditions in facilities. And the failure to achieve visibility into multiple tiers of the supply chain reinforces that lack of accountability.

Access to critical data varies widely among companies. Where it does exist, it’s often affected by a series of fundamental flaws, including:

  • Poor quality. Basic information, such as the names and addresses of production facilities, can be surprisingly lacking or inaccurate. 
  • Lack of standardization. Data isn’t being gathered in a standardized way, causing databases to be riddled with errors and duplicates. 
  • No interoperability. Little thought given to how data can be shared programmatically. Instead, it’s locked away in siloed datasets, without interoperability between systems.
  • Non-machine-readable formats. Insufficient thought is given to the format in which data is shared. Tables are embedded in websites, data is locked in PDFs, and other non-machine-readable formats are of limited use to anyone trying to make use of it in a practical way.
  • Unclear licensing. Organizations are left feeling uncertain about the ways in which publicly shared data can be used, as it’s not made clear through licensing terms. This is coupled with the antiquated notion that supply chain data is always proprietary information.

The key to resolving many of these issues might seem surprisingly straightforward. By standardizing and opening up supply chain data and allocating unique, freely accessible IDs to global facilities, companies can realize enormous potential and begin addressing the most challenging social and environmental issues of our time.

Not only is the opening up of supply chain data much needed in order to solve pressing global issues, it’s also imperative for companies to meet a raft of supply chain legislation either already enacted or coming down the track. It includes the European Commission’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, U.S. Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, Germany’s recently passed Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, and the French Duty of Vigilance Law.

Companies have a decision to make: Would they prefer to get ahead of the curve, ready themselves for this onslaught of legislative requirements and open up their supply chain data, or play an expensive game of catch-up once the legislation has passed and competitors have advanced more quickly? The cost of anticipating legislation is far lower than responding to it, and any number of process efficiencies and benefits for workers and the environment can be realized along the way. Which route would you choose?

Natalie Grillon is chief executive of Open Supply Hub.

Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain) Supply Chain Visibility Quality & Metrics

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED VIDEOS

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter!

Timely, incisive articles delivered directly to your inbox.

Popular Stories

  • A MEDLEY OF IMAGES OF GRAPHS AND CHARTS SUPER-IMPOSED OVER A HUNDRED DOLLAR BILL

    How Companies Can Avoid Competing Solely on Price

    Logistics
  • A RED AND WHITE FRITOS DELIVERY TRUCK IS PARKED IN THE LOADING ZONE OF A PARKING LOT NEXT TO AN ORANGE TRAFFIC CONE.

    Climate Change Threatens a World Without Doritos

    Global Supply Chain Management
  • Is-There-a-Right-to-Work-Remotely.jpg

    Watch: Is There a ‘Right’ to Work Remotely?

    HR & Labor Management
  • Managing-Supply-Chains-in-the-Face-of-Climate-Disaster.jpg

    Watch: Managing Supply Chains in the Face of Climate Disaster

    Regulation & Compliance
  • SYMBOLS OF TRADE AND RISK HOVER OVER TWO HANDS TYPING ON A KEYBOARD

    Navigating Supplier Risk Challenges to Shore Up Cyber Defenses

    Supply Chain Visibility

Digital Edition

Scb may 2023 lg

2023 Supply Chain ESG Guide

VIEW THE LATEST ISSUE

Case Studies

  • JLL Finds Perfect Warehouse Location, Leading to $15M Grant for Startup

  • Robots Speed Fulfillment to Help Apparel Company Scale for Growth

  • New Revenue for Cloud-Based TMS that Embeds Orderful’s Modern EDI Platform

  • Convenience Store Client Maximizes Profit and Improves Customer Service

  • A Digitally Native Footwear Brand Finds Rapid Fulfillment

Visit Our Sponsors

Antuit Zebra Anvyl Brother
Cleo Data Capture E2open
Eva Air Enveyo GAINSystems
Generix Geodis GEP
GreyOrange Here Holman Logistics
Infor Inmar Kinaxis
Locus Robotics Logility LogistiVIEW
Lucas Systems MCA Connect MPO
Old Dominion OneRail Overhaul
PartnerLinQ (Visionet) Port of Virginia Ryder E-commerce by Whiplash
Saddle Creek Logistics SAP Shyft
Sourcemap Tecsys TGW Systems
Verusen Workshop
  • More From SCB
    • Featured Content
    • Video Library
    • Think Tank Blog
    • SupplyChainBrain Podcast
    • Whitepapers
    • On-Demand Webinars
    • Upcoming Webinars
  • Digital Offerings
    • Digital Issue
    • Subscribe
    • Manage Your Subscription
    • Newsletters
  • Resources
    • Events Calendar
    • SCB's Great Supply Chain Partners
    • Supplier Directory
    • Case Study Showcase
    • Supply Chain Innovation Awards
    • 100 Great Partners Form
  • SCB Corporate
    • Advertise on SCB.COM
    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • Data Sharing Opt-Out

All content copyright ©2023 Keller International Publishing Corp All rights reserved. No reproduction, transmission or display is permitted without the written permissions of Keller International Publishing Corp

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing