What’s Invisible in Your Supply Chain Could Cost You

Supply chain management faces significant challenges due to evolving regulations, disruptions in raw material sourcing, and shifting customer demands, which can lead to costly inefficiencies. Traditional rule-based systems often fail to provide the necessary visibility and context, as they focus on symptoms rather than root causes, resulting in companies remaining in a reactive mode. A graph database approach offers a solution by providing real-time visibility into the interconnected nature of supply chains, modeling them as a supplier graph that reflects the actual operations and dependencies. This comprehensive view enables organizations to identify potential bottlenecks and risks, improve coordination across procurement, planning, and logistics, and ensure a more resilient supply chain. Notable examples include BASF, which used a supplier graph to navigate the 2022 EU energy crisis, J.B. Hunt Transport Services, which optimized routes to reduce carbon footprint, and the U.S. Army, which enhanced inventory planning and decision-making speed. By extending this graph-based approach to other enterprise domains, companies can achieve a unified view of their operations, improve risk analysis, and make more informed, agile decisions.