Virtual Partners, established in 1995, is an advisory firm providing information systems expertise across multiple industries and sectors using logistics and supply chain management services. The monitoring of assets using platforms and sensor suites and situations that cut across existing functional boundaries and processes are of particular interest.

When we are exploring solutions for our clients, Virtual Partners draws from a pool of highly experienced people, consistently delivering value from our network of expertise.

Our founders have over 30 years of experience in the delivery of informatics solutions across multiple sectors. Recognised as innovators and pioneers in the application of technology within the industry, Virtual Partners possesses a unique insight into emerging innovations, significant trends and the potential impact on operational effectiveness.

Virtual Partners often finds the unorthodox solution for the problem your organisation may be seeking. We analyse the associated risks and leverage deliberation from a pool of thought leaders with decades of expertise to deliver innovative solutions.

Through our expertise and track record, we help you understand the opportunities created by collaboration across supply chain networks.

Information Systems Collaboration

Many organisations find themselves with a variety of operational and support systems spread across the enterprise. They have resulted from departmental development, acquisitions and from the need for a short-term solution. The problem is that these systems all contain data that has some value, but may be of greater value if combined with data elsewhere in the organisation. The growth of industry standards for data exchange and the open protocols for communication, provides the opportunity to access this data and derive value from it. Large systems integration projects can seldom move fast enough to achieve the same goals, as organisations are changing too quickly.

Information ‘On-Demand’

Today, customers are demanding greater choice in the products they buy. They also want them ‘on-demand’, often expecting immediate delivery. The vertically integrated enterprises were never designed to survive in such a ‘demand-driven’ world. They decided the products customers could have and also when they would be delivered, with limited customer choice. How companies adapt to this new environment will be critical to their survival. The key is in the management of information. Immediate access to the relevant data and the ability to share it with the appropriate parties will be a crucial competitive advantage.

Connection means ‘Context’

Recent developments in information technology have made the connection, capture and analysis of data much easier. In many organisations data is captured by a large number of different systems, however, any advantages that might be gained from a shared view of this are few and far between. This is not simply a case of systems integration; it is more one of ‘understanding’ and applying the relevant meaning or ‘context’. Linking it together and applying the necessary context enables the exploitation of the real value of this data. The resulting information can then be shared across the organisation in ways not previously considered.

Trust and Transparency

Universal access to the Internet has fundamentally changed the way in which information can be delivered. Virtual Partners can help you to exploit these new techniques, improving information flow between you, your partners, your suppliers and your customers. This is achieved by drawing on a pool of industry expertise in logistics, supply chain management, aerospace, electronics and information services.

Collaboration is Key

Partnerships and networks are the basis for the evolving global economy. As organisations embrace new business models and adapt to a customer centric world, outsourcing, just-in-time and built-to-order processes require a greater emphasis on collaboration.

The world has changed, and the way we think about supply chain visibility has to follow suit. No longer can organisations operate with archaic systems and infrastructure. Technological advancements have catapulted the logistics and supply chain industries into a new era, and organisations that are not keeping abreast are finding themselves in muddied waters.

Effective supply chain visibility is no longer solely attainable by larger organisations. The introduction of cloud based software solutions that are powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning and fuelled by data analysis has levelled the playing field, allowing startups to enter the industry from a different angle and provide more robust and agile solutions to organisations lacking effective supply chain visibility.

The Internet of Things

Public Blockchains

3D Printing and additive manufacturing

Enhancing operational service levels using AI/ML

The Logistics and Supply Chain Innovation Handbook
Disruptive Technologies and New Business Models

Authors: John Manners-Bell & Ken Lyon

Examines all the processes of technological disruption affecting the logistics and supply chain industry and provides step-by-step guidance to successfully adapting business plans and strategies.

• Offers a detailed overview of all the major trends transforming the supply chain and logistics industry, such as automation and blockchain
• Presents case studies of companies such as Amazon, Alibaba, Maersk, UPS and DHL who have successfully integrated new technologies into their business models
• Investigates how disruptive technologies will transform supply chain dynamics in vertical sectors such as automotive and fashion
• Provides practical guidelines, tools and frameworks to assist the development of new innovative business plans for future supply chains and logistics operations
• Online resources: comprehensive resources including PowerPoints and sample case studies

20% OFF with discount code “ALG20”