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to comply with crucial regulations, directly impacting the entire supply chain and the manufacturer’ s bottom line.
2. Absence of a clear data strategy The sheer volume of data at the modern manufacturer’ s fingertips is often viewed as a challenge, but the real problem isn’ t a lack of information, it’ s the absence of a clear, coherent plan for how to use it. Many companies struggle with fragmented data, where information is trapped in isolated silos across different systems and formats. This makes it nearly impossible to get a unified, real-time view of operations. Leaders can’ t trust what they can’ t see, and they become reluctant to make decisions based on an incomplete or disconnected picture.
Without a clear data strategy, this fragmented data is simply noise. It’ s a resource that isn’ t being leveraged, leaving companies unable to effectively identify trends, optimize processes, or predict future outcomes. This is critical for the supplier lifecycle, where a lack of a trusted data layer prevents a holistic view of potential risks. Without this, manufacturers can’ t effectively vet new suppliers, find competitive costs, or manage logistics efficiently. The same challenges appear across sales and marketing. Poor or missing data creates gaps in evaluating market potential, qualifying leads, and analyzing cross-sell and up-sell opportunities. The result is a cycle of hesitation and reliance on intuition, as the data, though plentiful, is not presented in a way that inspires confidence or enables action.
3. Organizational and cultural resistance Even with the right data and technology, a data-driven culture cannot thrive without the right people and mindset. Organizational
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