Before the pandemic, the calculated process of getting products and materials from point A to point B was stable and predictable, if slow.

This is no longer the case, as labor issues, shipping delays and a land war in Europe have caused unparalleled disruptions in the industry. Coupa Software Inc.’s supply chain design platform’s holistic approach promises speed, agility and savings, according to Nick Banich (pictured), chief revenue officer, North America, at Miebach Consulting Group, a Coupa partner in the supply chain design and planning field.

“We can take a three-dimensional world and put it into a two-dimensional linear program,” Banich said. “Within the same platform, we can optimize strategically and take a look at end-to-end supply chain decisions, nearshoring, onshoring, supplier diversification and risk aspects.”

Banich spoke with industry analyst Lisa Martin during the Coupa Inspire event, an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed digitizing the supply chain and the relationship between people, processes and technology. (* Disclosure below.)

System-wide usage, intentional data strategy, and quality of data key to improving supply chain

Transforming supply chain design from a tool into a holistic, strategic management system is the path to get the most out of the Coupa supply chain platform, according to Banich.

“The very mature companies are infusing it strategically, operationally, technically, and are using it for distribution decisions, transportation decisions around mode selection, production footprint decisions,” he said.

Change management is a challenge, but out of necessity, many businesses have leveraged the limitations of the pandemic to rethink existing procedures, tools and roles. Starting with a data strategy is the first step in this discussion. A strong data strategy will inform a company’s human resourcing and technological needs, according to Banich.

The Coupa cloud-based ecosystem’s continuous design platform uses twin functionality, allowing companies to model potential events and overcome future disruptions. But analytics tools ultimately depend on the quality of the data.

“We’re infusing machine learning and artificial intelligence into some of the solves in the platform. But if you don’t have that good data, you’re going to struggle,” Banich concluded.

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the Coupa Inspire event:

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for the Coupa Inspire event. Neither Coupa Software Inc., the sponsor for theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE