New working group explores use of supply chain control towers

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Says Cobus Rossouw, Imperial Logistics chief strategy officer: “These control towers were a theoretical dream in the industry for many years, but are now a reality with the advancement of cloud-based, real-time technology to support the concept. The supply chain control tower is built on the foundations of end-to-end visibility, process orchestration and deep analytical capability, and is geared towards making the supply chain better for the benefit of all.

According to Rossouw, the supply chain control tower represents the company's fundamental approach to managing complex logistics arrangements. It is a sophisticated solution that provides a vital birds’ eye view of multiple operations across different transport modes, regions, and activities.

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"Our control tower is not linked to any specific location - it is an operation-wide, data-driven platform. Status information from strategic asset owners, suppliers, and clients is collected and channelled to the control tower. It delivers visibility, analytics and reports, monitors key performance indicators, and enables timeous, informed decisions,” he says.

A shared understanding of supply chain control towers

Rossouw says that the working group aims to ensure a shared understanding of supply chain control towers and to explore potential business opportunities, specifically where current client relationships can be enhanced.

The working group will articulate and document an implementation roadmap for Imperial Logistics’ supply chain control towers.

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The supply chain control towers working group consists of 20 participants from seven different countries, representing 12 Imperial Logistics operations. “We are drawing on the experience and expertise of individuals and businesses located in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Nigeria, Mozambique, and South Africa,” Rossouw states.

The working group’s first workshop took the form of a video conference this month (October), with participants joining from seven locations in five countries.

“By enabling the seamless integration of planning with real-time execution of logistics activities, supply chain control towers offer enormous opportunities for continuous improvement in logistics operations, as well as cost savings and enhanced service levels,” he concludes.