ERPs are pivotal in streamlining operations; however, not all ERP solutions provide adequate inventory optimization functionality. SMBs need functionality that provides inventory visibility, automated processes to reduce excess stock and avoid stockouts, precise forecasting capabilities, and predictive analytics to minimize supply and demand risks. Customizing your ERP can lead to expensive challenges in the long term, especially when performing automatic upgrades. Consider using best-in-breed inventory solutions from Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) to enhance ERP functionality without unnecessary complexity, ensuring long-term adaptability and efficiency To balance inventory and costs, businesses need to understand what tools are fit for purpose to help achieve inventory optimization, financial success, and market competitiveness.   From this discussion, the audience will have a better understanding of: – The functionality of ERPs – How to assess if ERPs deliver on inventory goals and capabilities – Identify missing gaps for better inventory planning and optimization – What key features to prioritize when selecting an inventory add-on solution – Rearview vs front window when it comes to forecasting and risk in your ERP – How to measure ROI – how best-of-breed solutions like Netstock show ROI when integrated with an ERP        

Today’s supply chain professional may be hungry for information but still drowning in data, never confident in how trustworthy some sources might be versus others. Pursuing supply chain transparency means expanding connections and communication across a global network of suppliers and logistics service providers, but only if you have the means to harmonize and transform disparate data. For confident decision support, some data must be augmented or presented with broader business context. Still other information should be cross-referenced with additional data streams or addressed with data science techniques to fill in gaps and gain useful forward projections or predictions. Join hosts Scott Luton and Karin Bursa from Supply Chain Now along with special guest Monica Truelsch with Infor to learn how synchronizing supply chain data across partners, technology stacks and back-office systems is key to improving supply chain performance.