Data have become a torrent flowing into every area of the global economy. Long before computers were commonplace, the idea that we were creating an ever-expanding body of knowledge ripe was widely acknowledged in academia. The advent of personal computers and, especially, the internet have considerably increased the amount of data generated every day. According to the most recent estimates, we produce around 2.5 quintillion bytes of data each day and this pace is even accelerating as the world is being more and more connected, thanks to the diffusion of internet-networked devices. Most organizations now understand that, by capturing all the data that stream into their business, they can apply analytics to identify new opportunities, put in place smarter business moves, more efficient operations, increased customer service and higher profits. From an analysis of the state-of-the-art literature on the use of big data analytics in the supply chain management field, it emerged that there is no scientific research addressing the use of big data in the supply chain planning process. Moreover, it emerged that, among the disparate sources of big data, smart, connected products have the potential to guarantee to the manufacturing company an unprecedented level of visibility on the final consumers, but nothing is known on how the manufacturing company may benefit from the large amount of product data in the supply chain planning process. In this respect, this study aims at investigating how the use of big data from smart, connected products may affect a manufacturing company’s supply chain planning process and how this could impact other players in the same supply chain, both upstream and downstream the manufacturing company. The research was conducted through the qualitative case study methodology, specifically investigating the potential impact of smart, connected products on the supply chain of Pirelli & C. S.p.A., one of the world’s major producers of tyres, which is developing a smart, connected solution for its products. From information collected through interviews to company managers, it emerged that smart, connected products have the potential to boost the quantity and quality of input data for the planning process, leading to more accurate plans and efficiencies at all stages of the internal supply chain. Moreover, the ownership of actual, real-time data concerning all the tyres in use by final consumers can be used as a powerful means to gain bargaining power towards supply chain partners, especially on the distribution channel, where the company lacks visibility. In this scenario, setting strong, collaborative relationships with the companies that own these data may prove fundamental to determine competition among players of the same industry, for which experts foresee an overall reduction in the number of current players.The research unveils that companies may benefit from a completely new stream of information from final consumers both inside and outside the company boundaries. Ownership of information may put manufacturing companies in an advantaged position with respect to both upstream and downstream partners, possibly increasing the company’s bargaining power in the negotiations. Differently from what literature says, the introduction of smartness and connectivity in physical objects may not necessarily shift consumers’ decision drivers, rather it may make them more aware of the product functioning and performance, thus increasing their expectations on the physical components of the product itself. The transition from physical objects to smart, connected products will require managers to invest time and economic resources in the management of both the offline and online user experience, engaging consumers to use the smartphone app in order to extract valuable information. Moreover, it will be necessary to acquire skills and competences to turn raw, unstructured data into insightful, business related information as well as adopting a more effieciency-oriented approach in the planning of all stages of the supply chain.
I dati sono diventati un fiume che scorre in ogni area dell’economia globale. Molto prima che i computer diventassero d’uso comune, l’idea che si stesse generando un insieme di conoscenze sempre crescente era ampiamente riconosciuta nel mondo accademico. L’avvento dei personal computer e, soprattutto, internet hanno aumentato sensibilmente la mole di dati generati ogni giorno. Secondo le più recenti stime, ogni giorno vengono creati circa un quintilione di dati e questo ritmo di generazione di dati sta accelerando ancor di più ora che il mondo sta diventando sempre più connesso grazie alla diffusione di dispositivi collegati in rete. La maggior parte delle organizzazioni sta comprendendo che, catturando tutti i dati che circolano all’interno del loro business, è possibile applicare tecniche di analisi di dati che inducono ad identificare nuove opportunità, prendere decisioni più intelligenti, efficientare le proprie operazioni, aumentare il livello di servizio al cliente e ottenere profitti maggiori. Da un’analisi dello stato dell’arte della letteratura sull’utilizzo di big data analytics nel campo del supply chain management, è emerso che non esiste alcuna ricerca scientifica che si dedichi all’utilizzo dei big data nel processo di pianificazione della supply chain. Inoltre, è emerso che, tra le diverse fonti di big data, i prodotti intelligenti e connessi hanno il potenziale di garantire all’azienda produttrice un livello di visibilità sul cliente finale senza precedenti, ma non vi è alcuna prova di come l’azienda produttrice possa beneficiare della grande quantità di dati sul prodotto in fase di pianificazione della supply chain. A tal proposito, questa tesi si pone l’obbiettivo di investigare come l’utilizzo di big data provenienti dai prodotti intelligenti e connessi possa incidere sul processo di pianificazione della supply chain dell’azienda produttrice e come questo possa avere conseguenze sugli altri attori della stessa filiera, sia a valle sia a monte dell’azienda. La ricerca è stata condotta tramite la metodologia qualitativa del caso studio, in particolare investigando l’impatto dei prodotti intelligenti e connessi sulla supply chain di Pirelli & C. S.p.A., uno dei maggiori produttori mondiali di pneumatici, che sta sviluppando una soluzione intelligente e connessa per i propri prodotti. Dalle informazioni raccolte tramite interviste ai manager aziendali, è emerso che i prodotti intelligenti e connessi hanno il potenziale di accrescere la quantità e la qualità delle informazioni utilizzate come input del processo di pianificazione, permettendo di generare piani più accurati e efficientando tutte le fasi della supply chain interna. Inoltre, il possesso di dati reali, disponibili in tempo reale, riguardanti tutti i pneumatici in utilizzo dai clienti finali, può essere utilizzato come potente strumento per ottenere potere contrattuale verso i partner della supply chain, specialmente lungo il canale distributivo, sul quale l’azienda manca di visibilità. In questo scenario, stabilire relazioni forti e collaborative con le aziende che sono in possesso di tali dati potrebbe risultare decisivo nel determinare la competizione tra attori dello stesso settore, per il quale gli esperti prevedono una riduzione generale nel numero attuale di partecipanti.La ricerca rivela che le aziende possono beneficiare da questo nuovo flusso di informazioni dai client finali sia all’interno che all’esterno dei confini aziendali. Il possesso di informazioni potrebbe porre l’azienda manifatturiera in una posizione di vantaggio rispetto ai partner a monte e a valle, verosimilmente aumentandone il potere contrattuale nelle negoziazioni. Diversamente da ciò che si legge in letteratura, l’introduzione di intelligenza e connettività negli oggetti fisici potrebbe non necessariamente cambiare i criteri di scelta dei consumatori, piuttosto potrebbe renderli più consapevoli del funzionamento e delle performance del prodotto, aumentando le loro aspettative sulle componenti fisiche del prodotto stesso. La transizione da oggetti fisici a prodotti intelligenti e connessi richiederà ai manager aziendali di investire tempo e risorse economiche nella gestione della user experience sia online che offline, impegnando i clienti all’utilizzo dell’app sullo smartphone in modo da estrarre informazioni di valore per l’azienda. Inoltre, sarà necessario acquisire abilità e competenze per trasformare i dati grezzi e destrutturati in informazioni significative e legate al business, nonché adottare un approccio orientato alla ricerca di efficienze nella pianificazione di tutte le fasi della supply chain.
Big data in supply chain planning. The impact of smart, connected products
GALLO, ANDREA
2018/2019
Abstract
Data have become a torrent flowing into every area of the global economy. Long before computers were commonplace, the idea that we were creating an ever-expanding body of knowledge ripe was widely acknowledged in academia. The advent of personal computers and, especially, the internet have considerably increased the amount of data generated every day. According to the most recent estimates, we produce around 2.5 quintillion bytes of data each day and this pace is even accelerating as the world is being more and more connected, thanks to the diffusion of internet-networked devices. Most organizations now understand that, by capturing all the data that stream into their business, they can apply analytics to identify new opportunities, put in place smarter business moves, more efficient operations, increased customer service and higher profits. From an analysis of the state-of-the-art literature on the use of big data analytics in the supply chain management field, it emerged that there is no scientific research addressing the use of big data in the supply chain planning process. Moreover, it emerged that, among the disparate sources of big data, smart, connected products have the potential to guarantee to the manufacturing company an unprecedented level of visibility on the final consumers, but nothing is known on how the manufacturing company may benefit from the large amount of product data in the supply chain planning process. In this respect, this study aims at investigating how the use of big data from smart, connected products may affect a manufacturing company’s supply chain planning process and how this could impact other players in the same supply chain, both upstream and downstream the manufacturing company. The research was conducted through the qualitative case study methodology, specifically investigating the potential impact of smart, connected products on the supply chain of Pirelli & C. S.p.A., one of the world’s major producers of tyres, which is developing a smart, connected solution for its products. From information collected through interviews to company managers, it emerged that smart, connected products have the potential to boost the quantity and quality of input data for the planning process, leading to more accurate plans and efficiencies at all stages of the internal supply chain. Moreover, the ownership of actual, real-time data concerning all the tyres in use by final consumers can be used as a powerful means to gain bargaining power towards supply chain partners, especially on the distribution channel, where the company lacks visibility. In this scenario, setting strong, collaborative relationships with the companies that own these data may prove fundamental to determine competition among players of the same industry, for which experts foresee an overall reduction in the number of current players.The research unveils that companies may benefit from a completely new stream of information from final consumers both inside and outside the company boundaries. Ownership of information may put manufacturing companies in an advantaged position with respect to both upstream and downstream partners, possibly increasing the company’s bargaining power in the negotiations. Differently from what literature says, the introduction of smartness and connectivity in physical objects may not necessarily shift consumers’ decision drivers, rather it may make them more aware of the product functioning and performance, thus increasing their expectations on the physical components of the product itself. The transition from physical objects to smart, connected products will require managers to invest time and economic resources in the management of both the offline and online user experience, engaging consumers to use the smartphone app in order to extract valuable information. Moreover, it will be necessary to acquire skills and competences to turn raw, unstructured data into insightful, business related information as well as adopting a more effieciency-oriented approach in the planning of all stages of the supply chain.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/151828