Lead Article:
Collaborative S&OP-Next generation systems
With emails, texting, cell phones, and VM, work follows you everywhere. There is no escape other than switching off your cell phone and your computer. For those of us who choose not to do that, there has to be a better way to blend work into other aspects of life. Professionals tend to spend a good number of hours at work solving problems and addressing issues, meeting with colleagues, and calling suppliers and customers. When you leave work you may still continue to receive calls and messages from people at work because they need your help and your involvement in making a decision across the ocean when their work day begins.To this end, systems need to be geared to fast and easy interfaces much the same as social networking sites. If a planner gets an alert that the shipment for your supplies is late, then what is the next step? Who do you talk to? How do you interact with the supplier? How do you know what the alternatives are and what messages do you need to send out to others to alert them to the problem? In fact, how do you know that this late shipment may even be a problem? There may be substitute parts available or there could be a reallocation of supplies so that no orders are late. Above scenario implies that for every event there are a number of alternatives and paths that could be followed in order to get to the desired outcome. Given that the time of day is no longer relevant, i.e. it could happen at 10PM, the user needs to be able to look at such alternatives in real-time and respond in real-time to relevant parties. Applications on smart devices have the capability to initiate a video call, to send messages or post requests, call for a meeting and/or initiate a work flow at HQ to figure out alternative measures that can be taken using the planning engine. Such applications intended for the business community are the next generation of remotely controlling and managing supply chains and finding quick answers to keep the business going. What is even more interesting is that such applications can remember actions taken by the users for similar events and automatically recommend the same when it happens again. This becoming a true "personal apprentice." Using this approach, the collaborators are in constant contact with each other and build relationships much the same as people do on social networks. Inevitably such closer relationships will result in much better working synergy and better results for the business. The big difference in such applications is that social networks including Facebook, LinkedIn and tweeter, are all about the person and their activities., however the kind of apps that we are discussing here is about what the person does in his role. It is about what his needs are, what information is needed, and what problems he is facing. Regardless of the individual, such roles are a constant for companies and therefore can be used and "trained" by multiple people and get better as it evolves. Your "FaceBusiness" app will soon be available on your favorite app store. | 
