The DPP has published a groundbreaking new report, Next Gen Supply Chain, that explores how some major content companies have adopted software defined, cloud led supply chains - and asks what this approach could mean for the media industry more widely. The report, enabled by DPP member company, Vubiquity (part of Amdocs media), is published at a moment when the coronavirus pandemic has led to heightened interest in cloud solutions.
“One of the mysteries of next generation supply chains is that some companies say they are impossibly hard to adopt; and others have already gone ahead and done it,” says DPP MD and author of the report, Mark Harrison. “The industry has gone down two separate paths. But if the experience of coronavirus now brings it together, the implications will be profound.”
The report features discussions with a number of senior executives who have been directly engaged with supply chain modernisation - from companies such as Walt Disney Television, ViacomCBS, WarnerMedia, A+E Networks, Facebook, Global Eagle, ATP Media, UKTV and ITV. Among its key findings are:
- Early adopters were characterised by decisiveness and strong leadership
- A preparedness to take on the business change was more important than the technology
- The vendor market has been slow to adapt to the needs of media companies that now want software as a service, with commodity applications and storage
- Next Gen Supply Chain companies have a strong focus on efficiency and agility, and have a detailed understanding of their costs
- It has placed them in strong position to respond quickly and affordably to new market opportunities
Darcy Antonellis, Head of Amdocs Media & CEO Vubiquity, said “At any time this is an important subject, though now with an unprecedented demand for content yet while current productions are put on hold, it’s even more relevant. Moreover, remote working and cloud-based workflows have suddenly moved from ‘roadmap’ to ‘business critical’. We are pleased to be able to support the DPP in this research and are ready to help member companies in evolving their digital workflows, use of automation and supply chains.”
Next Gen Supply Chain is part of new body of work from the DPP looking at cloud led innovation. In February it published Next Gen Production, featuring case studies of cloud based production; and in a further piece of research, to be published in the autumn, it will explore best practice in cloud architecture. The Next Gen Supply Chain report is available to DPP members below.
