Digital Supply Chains Need to be Industry Specific to Succeed: Study

Distributors and logistics providers in the Middle East will need to adopt vertical-specific digital platforms if they are to succeed in an industry roiled by changing dynamics wrought by COVID-19, according to a new white paper 'Building the Warehouse of the Future: Catering to the New Decade' released by IDC sponsored by Infor.

While 78% of CIOs from logistics, manufacturing and trade companies in the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META) region are currently engaged in or about to start a formal digital transformation program, much of their success may hinge on the type of platform they adopt.

One of the most important considerations for players in the distribution business is to choose vertical-specific digital platforms, states white paper author Jebin George, IDC program manager of industry solutions.

George states in the white paper: “Because vertical applications are built to address the unique requirements of an industry, the need for expensive and time-consuming customizations diminishes.

"Such applications have inbuilt industry-specific capabilities that deliver targeted intelligence, industry context, and actionable analytics and guidance to users.

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“IDC believes that distribution organizations that use integrated platforms and cloud-based, vertical-specific applications will be the most likely to digitally transform themselves in three to five years and emerge as true digital pioneers."

With spending on digital supply chain and logistics in META forecast to reach $8.5 billion during 2020-23, Infor, a global leader in business cloud software specialized by industry, is particularly well positioned to help organizations develop such vertical specific applications.

Khaled Al Shami, Infor director of solution consulting for Middle East and Africa, said: “The logistics and distribution sector in the Middle East is undeniably in a period of flux, with multiple forces driving change. But with the right digital transformation plan, challenges in the industry also present an opportunity for growth and development.

"What separates Infor from many other vendors serving the industry is our ability to offer vertical-specific solutions, and we look forward to working with a growing number of logistics providers as they adapt to the new dynamic.”

Infor is a leading provider of business cloud software products, serving 67,000 customers. The company has 17,000 employees spread across 44 countries.

Infor's CloudSuite™ solutions help organizations bring business processes and artificial intelligence together to enable rapid application development and a common data strategy.

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