How Data Is Reshaping Supply Chain Strategy in Australia
Co-authored by Pentify Insights and Trace Consultants
In the past few years, the importance of resilient, data-driven supply chains has shifted from a competitive advantage to a business imperative. The combination of global supply shocks, evolving customer expectations, and a more connected digital economy means Australian businesses can no longer afford to treat supply chain management and data analytics as separate conversations.
This joint piece by Pentify Insights and Trace Consultants explores how data is reshaping supply chain strategy across Australia. We’ll look at the current challenges, the role of data integration and visibility, and where businesses can focus their efforts for immediate impact.
The Current State of Supply Chain in Australia
Australia’s supply chains are unique. Distance, logistics complexity, reliance on imports, and regulatory frameworks all influence how local businesses manage sourcing, manufacturing, transport, and delivery.
Some of the key challenges facing Australian supply chains today include:
- Rising costs in freight, warehousing, and inventory management
- Labour shortages across logistics and transport sectors
- Limited visibility over multi-tier supplier networks
- Volatility in demand and disruptions to overseas sourcing
Despite growing investment in technology, many businesses still operate with fragmented systems. Procurement runs on email, warehousing data lives in spreadsheets, and transport performance is tracked manually or in disconnected tools.
This fragmentation makes it hard to:
- Track real-time inventory levels
- Predict bottlenecks or delays
- Optimise supplier or route decisions
- Make confident decisions based on the full picture
And this is where data strategy makes the difference.
Why Supply Chain Needs a Unified Data Strategy
A unified data strategy brings together information from across your supply chain, enabling you to:
- Improve visibility from supplier to customer
- Respond faster to disruptions or market changes
- Reduce manual effort through automation
- Unlock deeper insights to optimise operations
But getting there means more than plugging in a dashboard. It requires:
- Mapping current data flows and identifying gaps
- Connecting systems across procurement, inventory, transport, and finance
- Establishing clear metrics and KPIs
- Building trust in data quality across teams
This is the foundation of a supply chain that runs on insight, not instinct.
The Role of Data Integration
Pentify Insights and Trace Consultants have worked with Australian businesses who know their supply chains are too slow, too reactive, and too expensive, but don’t know where to start.
The answer is almost always the same: get your data working together.
What that looks like in practice:
- Connect your ERP, inventory system, and transport management system into one data platform
- Build automated data pipelines to pull updates in real time
- Set up alerts when metrics like stock-on-hand, lead times, or cost per order hit certain thresholds
- Create dashboards for different functions (finance, ops, warehouse, executive) from the same data source
Done right, this shifts reporting from monthly and reactive to live and proactive.
Where Supply Chain Leaders Are Focusing Their Data Efforts
We’re seeing the biggest gains from companies who focus their data efforts in the following areas:
1. Inventory Optimisation
Stockouts and overstock are two sides of the same problem: lack of accurate forecasting and visibility.
Using integrated data, businesses can:
- Align ordering to actual demand, not just forecasts
- Reduce excess stock while maintaining service levels
- Improve warehouse planning and working capital use
2. Supplier Performance
Too many businesses track supplier metrics manually or not at all.
With the right data, you can:
- Measure on-time delivery and lead time accuracy
- Track defect rates or returns by vendor
- Compare cost vs reliability across suppliers
3. Transport and Fulfilment
Data can help streamline delivery, reduce cost, and boost customer satisfaction.
Key metrics to monitor include:
- Freight cost per unit or per lane
- Delivery-in-full-on-time (DIFOT)
- Route performance and turnaround time
4. Risk and Resilience
After COVID, geopolitical shifts, and natural disasters, resilience is a board-level topic.
Data can help you:
- Model what-if scenarios for supplier or route disruption
- Score suppliers based on location, dependency, or risk exposure
- Create buffers where they matter most
Practical First Steps to Get Started
You don’t need a full transformation to see benefits. Start with the following steps:
1. Pick a priority area What’s costing you the most time, money, or frustration? Inventory, transport, or supplier performance are good starting points.
2. Map your data sources Where does data currently live? What’s missing? What’s manual?
3. Set a clear use case Don’t aim for perfection. Focus on solving one problem, like automating a key report or improving delivery tracking.
4. Build a scalable foundation Use cloud-based tools, modern ETL platforms, and warehouse options that will grow with your needs.
5. Involve the right people early Finance, ops, and procurement all need to be at the table.
Tools That Are Helping Australian Supply Chains
Tools & Platforms
Data Warehousing: BigQuery, Snowflake, Azure
ETL & Integration: Fivetran, Airbyte, Zapier, Stitch
Visualisation & BI: Power BI, Tableau, ThoughtSpot
ERP & Inventory: SAP, Oracle, Dynamics 365, NetSuite, MYOB Advanced, Unleashed, Cin7
Transport Management: MachShip, FreightExchange, TransVirtual
Pentify helps integrate and visualise the data. Trace brings expertise in what the supply chain teams actually need to track, improve, and deliver.
What Good Looks Like
Here are outcomes we’ve helped drive:
- 70% faster access to delivery and cost data
- 90% reduction in manual report prep for logistics teams
- Live dashboards for finance, ops, and execs fed by the same source
These aren’t overnight fixes. But they are realistic outcomes with the right foundation.
Final Thoughts
Australia’s supply chains aren’t getting simpler. But with the right data in the right hands, they can get smarter, faster, and more resilient.
Whether you’re a supply chain lead frustrated by manual tracking, or a CFO struggling to understand cost-to-serve, the path forward is the same: connect your data, align your teams, and focus on what you can improve next.
Pentify Insights brings the data and analytics expertise. Trace Consultants brings the operational experience and supply chain insight.
Together, we help Australian businesses turn supply chain noise into clarity, and results.
