Supply Chain Technology Insight from Caterpillar’s Tom France.

Tom France, Director of Global Transportation for Caterpillar gives us an insight into upcoming technologies, and his role at Caterpillar, in preparation for this year’s eyefortransport Supply Chain Technology Forum.

Haley Garner, Research Director and Director of the Supply Chain Technology Forum conducted a Q&A with Tom France, Director of Global Transportation for Caterpillar.

Haley Garner: Is technology always for the better? (ie. how are you able to balance technology’s upside with Supply Chain Strategy)
Tom France: No not always better – it is an enabler once you have the right people and the correct robust process defined. If you have not defined a robust process with knowledgeable people to implement the technology, it is at risk of becoming a green screen typing portal.

HG: What role do you play in your company’s purchasing of supply chain technologies?
TF: I am the decision maker.

HG: What would be your dream supply chain technology solution?
TF: My dream supply chain technology solution would be a closed loop procurement-to-pay process with visibility, pre-booking, matching shipment data to order data to need in plant with disruption management and supplier management capability.

HG: What supply chain technology has had the greatest ROI on your operations this year?
TF: Visibility cloud based technology has had the greatest ROI on our operations this year.

HG: What supply chain technology technologies have shown to have the smallest ROI on your operations this year?
TF: Caterpillar doesn’t use it, but historically I would say that RFID delivers the smallest ROI on operations. 

HG: What technologies do you think are on the cusp of making a significant impact on the Supply Chain industry?
TF: I think that Cloud-based applications that can hold logistics network data are on the cusp of making significant impact.

Quelle: eyefortransport
Portal: www.logistik-express.comwww.logistik-express.com