The trends that we conducted in the survey of over 100 medium-sized companies in the period ai and June 2020 do not really come as a surprise. Rather, the clarity with which the topics are named by management as well as supply chain and purchasing managers shows that the corona crisis is causing shifts in the prioritization of corporate tasks. Whereby the prioritized topics are not new in terms of content. In our view, the current crisis acts as a catalyst. Restructuring in procurement and supply chain processes, which has been postponed again and again in recent years, is now being tackled under the new economic pressure.

Top Trending Topics

In the short term, of course – especially in the operational area – the tasks are highly cost- and supply-oriented, combined with necessary liquidity issues. This is where implementation strength, crisis-tested experience in cost savings and stabilization of supply chains are required. From the perspective of the companies surveyed, this is now and immediately. If, however, the above-mentioned focus points are simultaneously placed on a timeline, it is striking that the restructuring of business processes and the digitalization in procurement and supply chain based on it, which is unfortunately often neglected, now occupies a strategic position. The realization that these are not only trend topics (which must be addressed at some point if a time window is to be available), but challenges that are decisive for the competitiveness of the company, both now and in the foreseeable future, has established itself with almost breathtaking speed. The triad – creating transparency, optimizing business processes along the entire value chain and, based on this, digitalization – seems to have arrived and exactly in this indispensable order.

Digitalization is not an end, but rather brings added value relevant to the result, where previously optimal processes were determined on a transparent basis. This is of course done with due consideration of the resulting automation possibilities. Efficiently and leanly positioned to defy the corona crisis and its consequences and emerge from this period strengthened – this can be described as the opportunity that presents itself to those who see top trending topics not just another chart, but the call to take entrepreneurial action.

 

Gregor van Ackeren

Managing Director, ADCONIA GmbH