Supply Chain Control Towers: Achieving End-to-End Visibility and Resilience

In today’s volatile and fast-evolving business landscape, supply chain resilience and agility are no longer optional—they are essential. Disruptions, from global pandemics to shifting consumer expectations, have exposed the limitations of traditional, siloed supply chain models. Organizations now face a new imperative: to achieve real-time, actionable visibility across their entire supply chain ecosystem and to respond rapidly and intelligently to any disruption. This is where Supply Chain Control Towers, powered by Publicis Sapient and IBM’s joint solutions, become a game-changer.

What Is a Supply Chain Control Tower?

A Supply Chain Control Tower is a digital command center that provides a 360-degree, real-time view of the entire supply chain—from suppliers and logistics to distribution centers, stores, and customers. More than just a dashboard, a modern control tower leverages advanced analytics, AI, and machine learning to deliver predictive insights, automate decision-making, and enable self-correcting capabilities. The result: organizations can anticipate disruptions, optimize operations, and drive measurable business outcomes.

Why Visibility and Predictability Matter

The pandemic and ongoing global volatility have underscored the need for supply chains to be both visible and predictable. Without timely, end-to-end visibility, organizations are left firefighting day-to-day issues, unable to anticipate or prevent disruptions. Control towers break down functional silos, providing:

Real-time inventory and order visibility across all channels and nodes
Predictive analytics to forecast demand, identify risks, and recommend actions
Collaboration tools to connect stakeholders and accelerate resolution
Self-healing capabilities that automate routine interventions and course corrections

The Publicis Sapient and IBM Approach: Architecture and Accelerators

Publicis Sapient and IBM have partnered to deliver a robust, scalable control tower solution that integrates seamlessly with your existing systems. Our architecture combines IBM’s Sterling Supply Chain Insights platform with Publicis Sapient’s accelerators and AI/ML tools, creating a unified data and intelligence layer across the ecosystem.

Solution Architecture Overview:

Data Ingestion: Cloud storage and transactional systems feed historical and real-time data via IBM AppConnect and GraphQL APIs.
AI/ML Engine: Data is processed by Sterling Supply Chain Insights and enhanced by Publicis Sapient’s AI/ML tools for prediction and optimization.
Visualization & Action: Insights are delivered through intuitive dashboards and resolution rooms, enabling both high-level and granular operational views.
Closed-Loop Feedback: Actions and outcomes are tracked, creating a learning system that continuously improves over time.

Diagram: Supply Chain Control Tower Architecture

[Cloud Storage] → [IBM AppConnect] → [Sterling Supply Chain Insights]
[Transactional Systems] → [Middleware] → [Sterling Supply Chain Insights]
[Sterling Supply Chain Insights] ↔ [PS Control Tower (AI/ML)] ↔ [Visualization Tools]

The Algorithmic Supply Chain Framework

Our approach is grounded in the Publicis Sapient Algorithmic Supply Chain Framework, which guides organizations through three key stages:

Operational Excellence: Achieve unified, real-time visibility and remove silos with cloud-based planning and analytics.
Algorithmic Optimization: Use AI and machine learning to drive data-driven decisions, optimize inventory, and automate fulfillment.
Cognitive Supply Chain: Enable self-correcting, intelligent supply chains that predict and resolve issues with minimal human intervention.

Benefit Framework: What Can You Expect?

Our Supply Chain Control Tower solution delivers tangible business value across three dimensions:

1. Fulfillment Network

Increased conversion and reduced lost sales
Lower markdowns and fulfillment costs
Improved inventory productivity and reduced appeasement costs

2. Returns

Reduced returns and markdowns
Lower returns processing costs
Enhanced cross-sell and exchange opportunities

3. Customer

Higher conversion rates and customer satisfaction
Increased cross-sell/upsell
Reduced returns and improved inventory productivity

Real-World Impact: Client Success Stories

Retail:

A leading British multinational retailer leveraged our returns optimization solution to identify likely returns with 80% accuracy, saving millions by avoiding unnecessary discounts and unprofitable customers.

Consumer Packaged Goods:

A major American CPG company gained real-time global inventory visibility across 4,000+ sites, enhancing e-commerce, improving customer service, and reducing store call volumes.

Healthcare Manufacturing:

A healthcare products manufacturer implemented a machine learning-based demand forecasting solution, improving forecast accuracy by 83% and saving millions in the first year.

Latin American Retail:

A top retailer used our control tower to gain visibility into fulfillment and reverse logistics costs, unlocking $145 million in estimated savings and immediate route optimization benefits.

Luxury Retail:

A Canadian luxury goods retailer improved order management and fulfillment options, achieving up to 48% fulfillment from stores and higher customer conversion through accurate delivery promises.

Cross-Industry Relevance

Our control tower solutions are proven across retail, consumer products, healthcare, and beyond. Whether you’re seeking to optimize omnichannel fulfillment, reduce costs, or build resilience against future disruptions, our approach is tailored to your industry’s unique challenges and opportunities.

Why Publicis Sapient and IBM?

End-to-end expertise: From strategy and design to implementation and ongoing optimization
Data-driven and AI-powered: Real-time insights and predictive analytics at every level
Platform-agnostic: Seamless integration with your existing technology stack
Outcome-focused: Measurable improvements in service, cost, and agility

Ready to Future-Proof Your Supply Chain?

Wherever you are on your journey—whether building foundational visibility or advancing toward a self-correcting, cognitive supply chain—Publicis Sapient and IBM can help you take the next step. Discover how our Supply Chain Control Tower solutions can transform your operations into a resilient, value-generating engine for growth.

Let’s start the conversation.

For more information or to connect with our experts, visit publicissapient.com.