
QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
Geneva Systems offers both an on-premise installation or a hosted installation for full access via the Internet. Multi-Language support allows users to switch between languages on the fly for their international business activitie...Read more
Jesta I.S. is a leading supplier of integrated software solutions for midsize and large retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers specializing in branded goods, apparel, footwear, hard goods and specialty industries. Jesta's c...Read more
VAI’s is an independent software developer and the author of S2K Enterprise, an award winning cloud-based ERP solution utilized by customers operating across the distribution, manufacturing, specialty retail, and service sectors, ...Read more
The Slingshot Enterprise Business Suite is a web-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) software suite designed to serve mid-sized to large businesses. The system serves retail, distribution, manufacturing, financial services, p...Read more
FreightMaster TMS is an on-premise or web-hosted transportation management system, offered at a low up front cost. A great tool for users who need to improve shipping control and planning....Read more
Luminate Platform by Blue Yonder (formerly known as JDA Software) is a cloud-based supply chain management solution for large and enterprise companies. It serves clients across a variety of supply chain industries including automo...Read more
SphereWMS warehouse management software optimizes workflow, direction, and processes at an operational level to increase efficiency and drive down costs for 3PL's, distribution, fulfillment, e-commerce, and retail operations. ...Read more
Tensoft SemiOps is a cloud-based product for technology companies with outsourced manufacturing operations. It supports the unique manufacturing, supply chain and financial needs of semiconductor and high tech businesses. Some ...Read more
3PL Warehouse Manager is a cloud-based warehouse management system designed for third-party logistics companies to manage multiple customers, processes and billing schedules. The system enables access to real-time information and ...Read more
Flowlytics is an on-demand software solution for high-mix manufacturers that helps optimize inventory levels in the supply chain by providing powerful analytics and actionable insights into critical plant and customer data....Read more
For more than 10 years, One Network Enterprises has offered one of the industry's only "many to many" network supply chain solution that is purely demand driven. Their Real Time Value Network is suitable for large companies....Read more
Demand Commander by industry leader Demand Foresight is a powerful, effective demand planning and forecasting solution that helps growing companies gain complete, real-time visibility into their supply chain. ...Read more
Infor CloudSuite Supply Chain Planning (SCP) is a cloud platform for demand planning and sensing, supply planning, production planning and scheduling, inventory optimization, integrated business planning (IBP), and sales and opera...Read more
Quintiq's Supply Chain Planning & Optimization is a highly customizable trucking management platform suitable for large trucking companies in many verticals. It offers flexible deployment options. ...Read more
Built on a true SaaS platform, LeanTMS by LeanLogistics offers scalable, mutli-tenant architecture that encompasses both Transportation and Supply Chain Management....Read more
Built for growing product-selling businesses using QuickBooks, Acctivate is a premium inventory management & multi-channel order fulfillment add-on that helps you focus on growth without operational limitations. Solve for QuickB...Read more
We’ve created this buyer’s guide to help you better understand supply chain planning and optimization software. This guide is intended to help you to evaluate the right solution for your business.
Here's what we'll cover:
What Is Supply Chain Planning and Optimization Software?
Common Features of Supply Chain Planning & Optimization
Evaluating Supply Chain Planning & Optimization Software
Benefits of Supply Chain Planning and Optimization Software
What Type of Buyer Are You?
Deployment Models and Pricing
Supply chain planning software helps organizations manage and replenish their inventory through sales and demand forecasting. As part of a supply chain management (SCM) system, planning solutions, such as sales and operations planning (S&OP), serve an important function in the ongoing effort to reduce waste and increase profitability.
By offering a tool such as demand planning software or S&OP, SCM software providers give organizations the ability to take a glimpse into a number of possible futures. Based on an analysis of historical market trends and an awareness of the organization’s upcoming promotions and product rollouts, demand planning systems enable simulating potential demand and adjusting an organization’s incoming inventories accordingly.
Optimization software handles capacity planning as well as sequencing and scheduling. Beyond simply providing demand estimation data, it allows organizations to act immediately on any pertinent information gathered from the data by altering delivery schedules, shifting stored inventory loads and adjusting revenue and expense projections. These actions ensure that the buyer does not purchase too many or too few supplies to meet demand.
Specific features of this software include:
Cost and capacity modeling | This essential feature provides the quantitative tools to model future and anticipated supply and demand activities. |
Customizable planning goals | The right system will allow you to create plans based on your individual business priorities. This should include the ability to capture and compare multiple versions of a forecast based on different “what-if” scenarios. |
Problem detection | Ensure that the software will help you identify material shortages in any plan and suggest solutions to address those problems. |
Data synchronization | This describes the ability to connect to a data source, facilitating delivery schedules, inventory loads and expense/revenue projections. |
Recent advances in networked solutions have brought about a series of collaborative solutions that allow buyers and suppliers to share the burden of planning and reduce the amount of nonproductive inventory. Vendor managed inventory software is one of the many planning systems that takes advantage of e-Kanban technologies, which alert the vendor when the buyer has run out of supplies so that they can send in new batches of products.
When selecting a software, cost will be an obvious concern, as will the features and functionality. You should also consider order consistency, hands-on management activity and inventory levels as important influencers in your decision-making process.
Businesses will see a variety of benefits that come with the successful implementation of planning and optimization software. The right system will enable you to:
Improve operational planning. Planning and optimization solutions are designed to improve and streamline your supply chain, from procurement to storage and transportation. They enable supply chain managers to redesign and optimize the supply chain by modeling complex logistic routes along with adding model constraints specific to their business. In addition, advanced systems provide analytics capabilities to create queries, maps and reports.
Ensure cost-effective operations. Supply chain planning and optimization is a complex process that involves data analysis, optimization algorithms and simulations to create optimum supply chains for businesses. Optimized supply chains enable companies to reduce transportation costs, manual effort and storage costs. In addition, it allows users to manage demand variation and business constraints.
Create accurate simulation models. Simulation techniques enable users to analyze relationships between relevant factors and their impacts on the supply chain to aid in decision-making. This helps when forecasting storage availability, scheduling production and managing inventory that makes logistics and supply chain operations move forward smoothly.
Third-party logistics provider. Organizations that manage the supply, storage and transportation of supplies for another business need an planning and optimization software to streamline and optimize their processes. A well-established supply chain planning process allows managers to proactively identify possible challenges and correct them in a timely manner. Logistics companies can also optimize their routes to save on costs by using machine learning and advanced algorithms.
Manufacturing vendor. Planning software lets manufacturers view storage space availability, predict product demand and collaborate with suppliers. The software also allows manufacturers to track and manage inventory levels to prevent stock shortages and the loss of production.
Distributor or supplier. Distributors are the backbone of any supply chain industry and serve as a bridge between manufacturers and retailers. Planning and optimization software enables distributors to manage products from different suppliers and maintain optimum inventory levels in their warehouses. In addition, the transportation of products to different retail or customer endpoints is carried out by these distributors.
Planning and optimization software is typically available in one of two deployment models, which tend to have different pricing structures:
Cloud-based. Cloud-based planning and optimization software is hosted on the vendor’s servers and is generally priced under a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, which means that users typically pay a monthly or annual subscription fee based on the number of users. There is a gradual shift in the market as more software vendors are opting for cloud-based solutions. Also, customers are more inclined to adopt these solutions, as they offer added flexibility and don’t incur additional IT infrastructure cost. On the flip side, subscription-based solutions tend to be more expensive in the long term compared with solutions that follow a license-based pricing model.
On-premise. On-premise planning and optimization software is hosted on the user’s own servers. Users may need specialized IT infrastructure, such as servers, operating systems and a network configuration that are compatible with the software. Typically, on-premise deployment costs a flat, upfront fee to use the software indefinitely, though there may be recurring support and maintenance fees involved. The upfront fee is also generally based on the number of users on the system.