14 DAY TRIAL // In a move focused on providing businesses with increased supply chain visibility, Microsoft, together with Infosys, launched the Supply Chain Center of Excellence. The Center is the first initiative from the two companies following the inking of an alliance aimed at lending a helping hand to manufacturers when it comes down to the complex management process associated with global supply chains. The new Microsoft and Infosys go-to-market alliance is dedicated not only to enable manufacturers to better deal with issues affecting supply chain visibility but also to fuel collaboration between businesses.
“In today’s high-tech supply network, lack of visibility can be a significant hurdle to effective planning and execution,” said Tyler Bryson, general manager, U.S. Manufacturing and Resources Sector, Microsoft. “Most of the supply chain challenges can be traced to factors such as poor collaboration, inadequate tools and technology, and challenges in getting the right data into the right format - and into the right people’s hands in a timely fashion.”
The Supply Chain Center of Excellence is available immediately to manufacturers worldwide, with the two companies aiming to introduce nothing more than social networking to a community of supply chain decision makers, professionals and experts. At the same time, manufacturers worldwide can already access the Infosys Service Performance Workbench and Infosys Procurement Workbench modules. But Microsoft and Infosys will not stop here. The duo promises that additional solutions and resources will be available, namely more modules offering pre-built intellectual property and accelerators. Microsoft is promising that manufactures will be able to take advantage of new capabilities designed to boost performance management, but also analytics and collaboration solutions and even event-based exception management.
“Infosys and Microsoft have a long history of helping manufacturers with the solutions they require for effective supply chain management,” said Sanjay Jalona, vice president and U.S. head of manufacturing at Infosys Technologies. “It’s rewarding to help manufacturers improve their global supply chain performance with solutions that gather and analyze data across the enterprise and its trading partners, and provide improved visibility and insight for supply chain pros to take quick, informed actions using a familiar, easy-to-use interface.”