Understanding Supply Chain Infonomics
What is Infonomics?
Infonomics is the practice of valuing and managing information as an actual asset. In the context of supply chains, it means treating operational data with the same rigor as financial or physical assets.
The Value of Supply Chain Data
Your supply chain generates massive amounts of data every day:
- Transactional Data - Orders, shipments, invoices
- Operational Data - Production rates, inventory levels, cycle times
- External Data - Market trends, weather patterns, economic indicators
- Performance Data - KPIs, metrics, and analytics
Turning Data into Assets
To leverage infonomics in your supply chain:
1. Data Governance
Establish clear ownership, quality standards, and access controls for your supply chain data.
2. Data Monetization
Identify opportunities to:
- Improve operational efficiency
- Reduce costs through better insights
- Create new revenue streams
- Enhance customer experiences
3. Data-Driven Decision Making
Build a culture where decisions are backed by data and analytics, not just intuition.
Real-World Impact
Companies implementing infonomics principles see:
- 20-30% improvement in decision-making speed
- 15-25% cost reduction through data-driven optimization
- Enhanced customer satisfaction through better visibility
- Competitive advantage through predictive insights
Getting Started
Begin your infonomics journey:
- Audit your data - Understand what data you have and its quality
- Identify value opportunities - Where can data create the most impact?
- Invest in infrastructure - Build systems to capture, store, and analyze data
- Train your team - Develop data literacy across your organization
- Measure and iterate - Track ROI and continuously improve
Conclusion
Supply chain infonomics isn't just about technology—it's about fundamentally changing how you view and leverage data in your operations. Start small, prove value, and scale your efforts.