From a business perspective, there has been a huge adoption of social technologies in marketing, but what is their relevance in supply chain management? Where can the principles be applied and to what benefit? What are examples of successful adoption of social technology in consumer-focused markets that can be employed by B2B markets?
Listening to the market through social platforms is in its infancy, but has a lot of potential in supply chains. Listening includes monitoring market shifts and trends on the demand side, as well as detection of threats and risks on the supply side. Using social networking principles to connect listening/sensing to supply chain response can make the difference between knowing of an issue (visibility) and being able to address it in an effective and timely manner (responsiveness). In a world of multi-tier, outsourced, offshore supply chains, the need for collaboration and dynamic decision making is ripe for the social paradigm. But the existing use of social networks is principally about "pushing" information, where all information and all recipients are created equal. Usefulness of social networking technologies within the supply chain arena will mean drawing the distinction between the people who need to know, which implies responsibility to take action, and the people who want to know, which implies interest only. The right approach and the enabling technologies should not only enhance visibility, collaboration and decision-making capabilities, but would also apply process flow, governance and organizational learning along the way.