Zero Pro is a scalable enterprise level framework supporting your organisation as it transitions towards its goals and ambitions. It recognises that no one will share the same journey, nor will the implementation plan for one by suitable for another. Every journey will be unique and flexibility is key.

Company history and prior decisions can greatly influence future behaviour. Relationship between buyers and certain suppliers maybe richer in certain areas of the supply chain and buyers may be more motivated to protect these suppliers more when implementing change. What this tells us is automating decision making can lead to a result that is misaligned with the company’s values and expected behaviours.

Stage 1: Plan

Transitioning to an agile and responsive supply chain is a daunting task for many company’s, but with anything complex, trying to tackle everything in one go is too complex and will likely result in objectives not being met.

The process needs to be based around smaller cycles of learning and adjusting as you go. Start with areas of the supply chain that are simpler and iron out any process complexities before trying to tackle the more complex areas.

Every company will have products within their ranges that will involve a small number of suppliers that the company maintains as good relationship with. This is the area to start with.

The next stage of planning is to decide on what data is going to be collected in this cycle. Zero Pro allows for scope to be expanded later, as and when required.

For example, you may decide to collect just the transportation data for one product and deal with just the Tier 1 / Finishing factories in the first instance, and when that is complete move to the next level of suppliers and so on until the end point is reached. Equipment and Infrastructure data can be added at the same time or later on. Once that product is complete, you may wish to repeat the exercise with the next product, or set of products, as required until you have covered all of your suppliers.

Stage 2: Collaborate

Once objectives have been locked down, its time to reach out to the target suppliers are start the process of collaboration and data collection. Much of the data that is required will be covered by documentation that exists within the supply chain already so we should start there.

Zero Pro offers cloud based tools that allow for suppliers to easily capture the required data. It leads the user through a process that ensures the data is entered correctly. Evidence to support the data can also be provided electronically.

Buyers and suppliers are supported throughout the entire process.

Stage 3: Visualize

Once the data has been collected and certified, Zero Pro will show the data in powerful visualizations allowing the users to see what the data really shows.

These visualizations need to be reviewed against what you thought you knew about this part of the supply chain. There is generally many areas of high opportunity and low implementation complexity that are presented as part of these visualizations.

For example, it may be very apparent that certain goods are being transported via air shipment within the supply chain where they could be converted to sea shipment as the supplier is near a port and the goods are not time critical. It could be possible that suppliers nearer to the required product location may also be available to shorten transportation distances.

Step 4: Model

Once areas of optimization have been identified, Zero Pro allows you to model up the expected benefits of all the implementation options you are considering. The output of this may push you in a certain direction.

It may be that change has multiple phases of implementation also.

Step 5: Finance

Some changes will not require financing as they will evolve around changes to where supply is sourced from. Some changes, however, will require investment to be able to implement.

Most commercial banks are open to supporting the implementation of environmentally beneficial projects but they also have reporting requirements before green loans can be provided.

This is where Zero Pro excels. The output from the modelling process demonstrates the before and after phase of implementation. This is the data that banks are going to require ahead of the financing event.

Step 6: Implement

Once the change has been identified, prioritised and potentially financed, it’s time for implementation.

Step 7: Track

Once implementation is complete, the data within Zero Pro needs to be updated to reflect the change in situation.

This data, once certified, will allow Zero Pro to confirm the accuracy of the modelling activity carried out. Tracking change may be a multistage event as it may involve process optimizations across a period of time. These changes can be updated in Zero Pro as they occur or can be delayed and entered in one go depending on the company’s preference.

Step 8: Report

Once the change implementation has been completed and the data has been updated in Zero Pro, stakeholders (both internal and external) can be updated on progress as required. External stakeholders could include auditors, regulators and banks.

Then it’s time to go back to Stage 1 and take on the next phase of the project.