The survey results align well with what I’ve been hearing from supply chain executives in the numerous workshops I’ve conducted on this topic over the past few years: “We know social networks will transform supply chain processes, we just don’t know how exactly, and where to start, and why.”
Perception vs. Reality
Many supply chain executives and companies are stuck on the starting line because they can’t get past the word “social” and the perception it creates. “We come to work to get things done, not to socialize,” said an executive at one of my workshops, “so I don’t see any role for social media in supply chain management.”
When supply chain executives hear “social media,” they immediately think Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. And because these publicly available sites lack any supply chain and logistics context, they can’t see how these social networks will help them manage their transportation and warehousing operations, for example. Simply put, the term “social media” has an image problem in supply chain circles. It carries a lot of baggage, and other names being used, like “enterprise social software,” aren’t much better.