Report:

A: This research covers a 29-criterion evaluation of collaborative supply network providers that help enterprises mitigate the impact of volatile demand and supply chain disruption. It evaluates providers' capabilities in network participant authentication, synchronization of master data, connectivity, intelligent order management, demand forecasting collaboration, multitier visibility, constraint-based planning, and embedded AI/ML technologies. The evaluation assesses current offerings, strategy, and market presence of 13 major providers.

A: Technology leadership professionals should use this research to select the right collaborative supply network provider for their needs. It helps enterprises that must dynamically replan their supply networks to maintain agility in the face of volatile demand and supply patterns, boost resilience and sustainability, and comply with new visibility mandates. The research is particularly valuable for organizations looking to extend their sales and operations planning to suppliers, customers, and channel partners across multienterprise networks.

A: Vendors must have: 1) At least $100 million in collaborative supply network revenues demonstrating significant market presence and scale; 2) Substantial multienterprise collaborative scheduling experience with proven success in collaborative scheduling across supply networks, including collaboration with direct materials, intermediate products, or component suppliers in discrete or process manufacturing industry supply chains; 3) Strong mindshare and interest among Forrester's enterprise customer base, evidenced by frequent and consistent mentions during client inquiries, shortlists, and consulting projects over the evaluation period.

A:

• Annual collaborative supply network revenues below $100 million threshold
• Lack of substantial multienterprise collaborative scheduling experience or demonstrated success
• Insufficient collaboration capabilities with direct materials, intermediate products, or component suppliers in manufacturing supply chains
• Limited mindshare among Forrester's enterprise customer base
• Infrequent mentions in client inquiries, shortlists, and consulting projects
• Declining to participate in the full Forrester Wave evaluation process (vendors may be included as nonparticipating)
• Providing materials after the July 31, 2024 evaluation cutoff date
• Failure to meet vendor inclusion criteria across revenue, experience, and market presence dimensions

A:

• Prioritize platform adoption - Look for ease of onboarding, sustained platform investment in user experience, and support for full range of use cases to minimize client attrition
• Clarify multitier supply chain visibility - Ensure platforms can map extended supply chains, vouch for ESG credentials of every supply chain partner at every tier, and report on carbon footprint of each item
• Enable constraint-based planning - Seek platforms that embed mathematical optimization techniques (integer or linear programming) to systematically explore optimal combinations of sourcing, production, and distribution decisions within capacity constraints
• Evaluate vendor retention rates as indicators of platform effectiveness and adoption success
• Assess partner ecosystem strength including certified implementors and global systems integrator partnerships
• Review roadmap transparency with detailed features, dates, and resourcing commitments
• Consider innovation investment levels (R&D budgets) and release frequency
• Examine pricing flexibility and value-based pricing models aligned with realized ROI
• Verify support for relevant industry regulations (EU supply chain due diligence, UFLPA, scope 3 carbon reporting)
• Assess embedded AI/ML and generative AI capabilities for autonomous planning and decision support

A:

• Enterprises have suffered recession, inflation, and shortages requiring extended planning and execution across supply chain partners
• New sustainability and supply chain visibility mandates demanding multitier supply chain mapping and ESG credential verification
• Requirement to report carbon footprint of each item in the supply chain
• Solution providers investing in client retention strategies to minimize attrition
• Embedded AI and generative AI to scale collaborative multienterprise responses to volatility and automate decision-making
• Mathematical optimization techniques (integer/linear programming) for constraint-based planning replacing simple simulation
• Shift from brittle supply chains to resilient supply networks with unified planning and execution
• Platform adoption depending on ease of onboarding and sustained investment in user experience

A: Strength of Current Offering evaluates the technical capabilities and features of the vendor's platform across 20 functional criteria (each weighted at 5%), focusing on core collaborative supply network functionality such as authentication, connectivity, planning, optimization, AI/ML capabilities, and multitier visibility. Strength of Strategy assesses the vendor's business approach and market positioning across 7 strategic criteria (weighted between 10-15%), focusing on vision, innovation investment, roadmap clarity, partner ecosystem, customer adoption/retention rates, pricing models, and supporting services. Current Offering measures what the platform can do today, while Strategy evaluates the vendor's ability to deliver future value and market leadership.