Location is vital to decision making in supply chain management (SCM) because it is the great invisible common denominator. But when used in analysis, it is far more complicated. That’s why SCM professionals need to master powerful tools such as geographic information systems (GIS) to convert massive amounts of location-based data into business intelligence that can drive supply chain strategy and execution.
American Sentinel University’s new e-book, ‘Bringing the Power of GIS to Supply Chain Management,’ offers insight into why GIS technology is a critical tool for SCM professionals to drive strategic decisions with location-based data and is available for download at http://www.americansentinel.edu/blog/2013/04/15/supply-chain-management/.

Data-driven Strategy
‘Bringing the Power of GIS to Supply Chain Management’ is a must read for SCM professionals who want to use the most advanced tools and techniques available for managing the tangled web of connections, dependencies, interactions, movement and processes that compose a company’s supply chain to become more profitable for a competitive advantage. Readers will gain important career insight about the exciting field of GIS technology and what combination of skills and background are needed to support establishing a SCM GIS program in a traditional supply chain business career path: -Supply Chain Management’s Quandary, -Driving Decisions with GIS Data, -Data Sources and Analysis, -Implementing GIS, and -Preparing for GIS-Enabled SCM. “Effective data management is critical to the decision-making process and the ability to synthesize data from a variety of sources and transform it into meaningful information for supply chain business decisions a huge factor in determining successful outcomes,” says Dr. Stephen McElroy, GIS program chair at American Sentinel University. Dr. McElroy notes that nearly every aspect of the SCM process relies on location-based data of some type, so knowledge of the spatial context is fundamental and the addition of skills related to GIS and data analysis tools and techniques provides a SCM professional with a differentiator that could be the key to a more profitable SCM operation. Massive amounts of data are available to the SCM professional, so it is important they have expertise in GIS to manage the supply chain and to enhance their career potential. “A central concern for a SCM professional is to always know their supply position (i.e., status of their supply chain). GIS is a tool that can be used by SCM professionals to help them understand the risks and opportunities associated with their supply chain,” says Steven Owlett, CPSM, C.P.M., CISCM and a seasoned supply chain management executive with 20+ years’ experience driving global market expansion through supply chain setup and optimization. In addition, Owlett points out that understanding how to use GIS technology will help the SCM professionals manage vast amounts of location-based data and present this information in an organic, holistic, and geographical format so that it can be used to gain insights and intelligence to facilitate decision-making and identify supply chain opportunities. “Often times, gaining a key insight can mean the difference between an optimal outcome or placing an organization at risk,” adds Owlett.