IBM Opens a Global Supply Chain Innovation Center in Beijing

The company claims the facility to be the first dedicated to helping companies from around the world to integrate and transform their global supply chain capabilities.

Besides working to create new solutions, the Center will demonstrate and utilize already functioning industry solutions to aid companies in widening and growing already existing integrated supply chain capabilities.

Among company solutions showcased is a Virtual Command Center that utilizes a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) to provide supply chain visibility. The solution integrates and synchronizes supply, demand and logistics data to enable more effective decision-making.

In addition the IBM Center provides Supply Chain Optimization tools and modelers so that customers can design and operate agile supply chain processes and networks. The Carbon Tradeoff Modeler helps companies understand “carbon output — footprinting” as a key variable when optimizing supply chain activities.

Sanjeev Nagrath, global leader, Supply Chain Management, IBM Global Business Services, notes that, “Helping companies transform and extend their supply chains in a globally integrated economy requires new thinking, new methods and new tools. China, which is one of the fastest growing economies and a key link in global supply chains is an ideal place to locate our new innovation center to create solutions for companies in not only emerging markets, but anywhere in the world.”