MxD & Dow to build supply chain early warning system
MxD, Dow and four other industry and academic partners are collaborating to build software that will warn manufacturers of delays in customer shipments caused by emergencies, weather or other natural disasters. Dow will lead the Supply Chain Risk and Event Management project and test the software at its headquarters. Partnering with Dow on the effort are MxD members, ITAMCO, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Microsoft.
“Manufacturers are frequently left in the dark when emergencies on the other side of the globe occur and parts or materials don’t show up on time,” said Chandra Brown, MxD’s CEO. “Such delays can cripple a plant. We’re bringing together some of the best minds in logistics and technology to find work-arounds for when that happens.”
The system will capture and prioritize an event and then provide the information needed to the impacted supply chain to institute proactive measures. The information gathered will come from traditional and social media resources and be routed through advanced analytics and machine learning to predict and suggest solutions.
“This project uses the digital thread to help Dow and other manufacturers deliver a more predictive and resilient supply chain,” said Jeremy Archbold, data & analytics domain leader for Dow Integrated Supply Chain Innovation. “This will drive us toward making data-driven decisions rapidly, allowing for better mitigation plans that benefit both our supply chain and our customers.”
The team plans to test the system for the first time in the fall. Dow will measure the system’s accuracy as well as whether they can quicken responses to a disruption and improve on-time deliveries.
