Should your data be a balance sheet asset?

Technology today, particularly big data and analytics, are changing roles throughout the enterprise, whether it's the CIO constantly faced with decisions about technology, or supply chain members that can make the sales marketing function more data-driven and efficient, everyone is being affected. Even the CFO role is not immune. 

The CFO doesn't really have to be a technologist, but they have to understand how the power of technology can help them do their job. The pressures on the CFO are not terribly different than they've always been, but the data driven connectivity of our world and the rate of change adds to it. They need to be able to react to change quickly with speed and flexibility.

At the recent Bloomberg CFO Summit this week on the topic:
"Dealing with New Technology and Building a Business Case for It."

They outlined that the CFO is focused on reducing costs, speed (especially improved time to value) and flexibility — all achieved in a secure way. Technology, particularly cloud computing and analytics, is the key to improving in all three areas. Sales Managers, on the other hand, focus more on revenue-generating projects in the analytics space. For instance, they might want to pursue behavioral analytics that give them a 360-degree view of each customer.

Based upon the fact that all these operational area need that data the question was asked.. 

Should your data be a balance sheet asset?

Assuming your data will drive new businesses. How do you value it accurately?

Here are some possible examples of that valuation. Data about customers creates opportunities for the business. That data about customers should to be a central focus of the organization and the sales leaders. 

• What do we know about our customers? 
• How can we expand our information about our customers? 
• How can we monetize that data? 

That monetization really amounts to a valuation of that data.

Companies are becoming inherently differentiated based on their ability to leverage their data. Those organizations better able to glean automated, real-time insights from their data will have a serious competitive advantage over their rivals.

Need help figuring our the value of your data? - One solution might be to use the well known customer stratification model , already available in the latest version of the MDS-Nx Software Suite

This model allows you to classify customers based upon patterns in your data 

and helps you make decisions on where to focus your sales efforts. 

For more information on TSH or MDS call The Systems House, Inc. at 1-800- MDS-5556. Or send a message to sales@tshinc.com

Click here and tell us how we can help you with your business solutions.

Ebola, how does the supply chain prepare?

In 2006, Congress gave DHS $47 million to prepare for such a national medical crisis. 

I won't go into the mismanagement of the DHS and how bad it is at inventory management, but as a supply chain member you can help. 

Read the gory details here if you like. But the long and short of it is that they need help and you can provide it.  

Link to full report here: 

http://www.oig.dhs.gov/assets/Mgmt/2014/OIG_14-129_Aug14.pdf

DHS agreed with all 11 suggestions the Inspector General's Office made to improve the program. The department will assign an office to oversee the supplies and develop an adequate strategy for making sure the material stays current. It has applied for a shelf life extension with the Food and Drug Administration to extend the expiration dates on the antiviral medicine it has that will expire in 2015.

HIDA has developed an Ebola information clearinghouse for supply chain news of particular interest to distributors, manufacturers and other industry stakeholders.

HIDA Ebola Information Center

How can you as a Healthcare supply chain member help? 

Utilizing the MDS-Nx  

Pandemic Inventory and Distribution System 

Your company can become one of the selected Pandemic Distribution and Housing Centers.
If your company is selected to store and administer medical supplies that are to be available in event of a pandemic situation. the MDS-Nx system can easily manage it for you. 

Your company would receive a purchase order from a hospital or Health Center, detailing the products to store in case of a pandemic situation. 

You would then purchase the products from your vendor sources. The product is received and paid for as usual. Rebates may or may not be applicable to the purchased product.
These supplies will likely include both dated and non-dated product.
This new pandemic inventory will be stored in a segregated location, which will be designated on the MDS-Nx System as a separate warehouse. 

Location, Lot and Serial  control are available to track the expiration date and details of the product in each location. 

There may be multiple consignments open at one time, and is placed in a separate logical warehouse. Allowing a separate owning company to designate this warehouse as owned by  a separate pandemic holding company and not affect your inventory,  Or by your customer I.E the hospital. Replenishment of the products can take into account short dated items and allow you to sell items from the pandemic inventory to other customers allowing you to perform stock rotation as a service to the pandemic inventory owner, or to bill them back for expiring goods you replace. 

Pandemic Inventory Management Allows you to:  

•Manage Customer Owned/Consignment Inventory with 

stock rotation using lot and serial control and expiration or received date

•Invoice customer when put into Stock 

•Ability to borrow from inventory and replenish

•Multi warehouse 

•Multi location 

•Multiple replenishment path

•Multiple customers/Pandemic inventories can be managed

Become part of the Supply chain solution and show the DHS that the supply chain knows how to manage this task effectively and inexpensively.

For more information on TSH or MDS call The Systems House, Inc. at 1-800- MDS-5556. Or send a message to sales@tshinc.com

Click here and tell us how we can help you with your business solutions.