In recent years, disruptions like COVID-19, geopolitical conflict, and natural disasters have challenged organizations to improve their supply chain resilience. A Microsoft-sponsored Harvard Business Review Analytic Services survey from October 2022 indicates that 94 percent of respondents view supply chain operations as a higher priority than they did three years ago. Moreover, 97 percent agree that a resilient supply chain positively affects a company’s bottom line.1 However, many organizations struggle to achieve this resilience due to technological challenges and a shortage of qualified talent. AI and related emerging technologies are helping businesses overcome these challenges by empowering teams with solutions that amplify and extend current capabilities. With this in mind, we’re excited to attend Hannover Messe from April 17 to 21. Join us at Hannover Messe, where we’ll showcase the latest updates as part of release wave 1 through three cutting-edge demos highlighting the power of the Microsoft Supply Chain Platform in unlocking supply chain resilience.
Planning to attend? Join Microsoft, Accenture, and Avanade at Supply Chain Reimagined to learn how your team can use the power of copilot assistance with AI to proactively mitigate disruptions and improve productivity.
Supply Chain Reimagined at Hannover Messe
Wednesday, April 19, 10:00 AM–12:00 PM CEST at Microsoft Stand, Hall 17, G06
AI-powered risk mitigation
Seventy-one percent of companies experienced supply chain disruptions in recent years, causing many to rethink their supply chain technology.1 At Hannover Messe, attendees will see how the Microsoft Supply Chain Platform enables manufacturing organizations to use AI copilots to reduce risk across complex supply chains. For example, supplier networks can benefit from a global monitoring solution that automatically detects and reports events that might potentially disrupt your suppliers. By pairing around-the-clock, end-to-end visibility with AI-based recommendations and generative AI communications, collaboration is more kinetic, automated, and seamless––providing organizations with the advantage they need to more effectively mitigate risk and make better, faster decisions.
The open platform of Microsoft Supply Chain Center integrates with existing supply chain systems, allowing organizations to meet their unique needs without replacing current systems. At the event, we will share how manufacturers can use Copilot in Microsoft Supply Chain Center to proactively flag external issues such as weather, financials, and geography that may impact key supply chain processes. Predictive insights then surface affected orders across materials, inventory, carriers, distribution networks, and more. Supply chain planners can then automatically draft an email generated by Dynamics 365 Copilot to alert impacted partners and mitigate potential disruptions before they happen.
As you saw in the overview, customers like Kraft Heinz could see the value in seamless supplier collaboration––especially before disruptions happen. With a massive global footprint and complex operations, supply chain leaders need agility and visibility across countless scenarios.
Optimize fulfillment with warehouse automation
Automation can drive improvements for manufacturers beyond factory walls. At Microsoft, we’re collaborating with Toyota Material Handling Europe (TMHE) to bring warehouse automation to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management. Autonomous guided vehicles like those from TMHE can perform repetitive tasks quickly and accurately. In combination with their integrated warehouse execution software (WES) T-ONE, Toyota’s simplicity and flexibility in design flows and better integration of system components are leading to increased efficiency and productivity. Businesses like those managing aftermarket parts for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) can meet customer demands faster and with fewer errors by automating processes such as picking. Moreover, robotics technology can help manage inventory levels, resulting in better stock control and reduced carrying costs.
Microsoft empowers manufacturers to build agile distribution processes by rapidly deploying warehouses with preconfigured equipment. The Warehouse Management mobile app (WMA) for Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management can be installed on almost any mobile device (Windows and Android), with support for iOS devices now available as part of the latest product update. This allows manufacturers to scale operations quickly without investing in new equipment.
With improved flexibility, manufacturers are positioned to support demand spikes, optimize picking through wave or batch processing, maximize order line shipments, and increase inventory turns––all while reducing labor costs. At Hannover Messe, you can get up close and personal with Toyota’s newest automated guided vehicles and also see a real-life example of a warehouse-in-a-box for quickly onboarding new facilities in remote locations.
Rapid enterprise standardization
When BPW Aftermarket Group (BPW AMG) needed to upgrade seven outdated enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, it chose Dynamics 365 as its cutting-edge cloud solution. With an impressive 90 percent standard fit, Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management covered sales order management, procurement, and logistics. Despite an ambitious timeline, BPW AMG successfully launched the new system in under 11 months, a feat many thought impossible. Today, the system provides enterprise standardization, enhanced transparency, and virtually error-free automated workflows, replacing obsolete and error-prone manual processes.
Learn more about how BPW Aftermarket Group drives enterprise standardization with Dynamics 365.
Keep customer promises with improved asset availability
Companies that invest in digital transformation can reduce asset downtime by up to 50 percent.2 At Hannover Messe, attendees will learn how innovative manufacturers like Northvolt are maximizing asset uptime to meet ever-changing customer demands on time while enhancing employee experience through AI, mixed reality, and low-code tools. By collaborating with Microsoft, Northvolt is jointly developing innovative solutions using Microsoft Dynamics 365, HoloLens 2, and Power Apps, all integrated with next-generation AI capabilities, to establish a seamlessly connected factory for the future.
For example, imagine a scenario where a field service technician arrives at a customer’s site to repair a complex piece of machinery or a sophisticated Northvolt battery pack. The technician may have limited knowledge about the equipment and its underlying systems, making diagnosing and resolving issues efficiently difficult. However, the technician can apply AI capabilities to quickly identify potential problem areas by analyzing images uploaded with the recently released Asset Management mobile app for Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management. With this information, technicians can focus on resolving the root cause of the problem rather than just fixing the symptoms, leading to faster repairs and improved first time fix rates.
Come try it for yourself! Join us at the booth to don a HoloLens and put yourself in the shoes of a maintenance technician using mixed reality and AI.
Next steps
Through these three demos, attendees will gain insights into the transformative capabilities of the Microsoft Supply Chain Platform, enabling them to build resilient, efficient, and future-ready supply chains for their organizations.
Learn more about Microsoft at Hannover Messe 2023. Additionally, we invite you to join us alongside Accenture and Avanade as we look inside the latest trends and best practices shaping the supply chains of today and tomorrow. You’ll hear from experts and peers how to transform your supply chains to be agile, connected, and sustainable. Details and registration link are below.
Register: Supply Chain Reimagined – Take control of your supply chain
Date: Wednesday, April 19, 10:00 AM–12:00 PM CEST
Location: Microsoft Stand, Hall 17, G06
Attend to:
- Experience Dynamics 365 Copilot and learn to unlock productivity improvements
- Hear essential insights from industry leaders
- Join the Q&A chat in-person
End notes
1Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, 2022. A Resilient Supply Chain Built for Competitive Advantage.
2McKinsey & Company. Capturing the true value of Industry 4.0.
