Our guide to the top supply chain management software is backed by over two decades of research and user reviews, weighing key factors like demand planning and sales forecasting.
Written by Last updated on March 1st, 2024 Editor’s Rating: Best OverallSupply chain management software streamlines the product journey from supplier through manufacturing and sales to the consumer, optimizing the flow of goods, information, and finances. Here’s a rundown of our top picks based on user reviews and our internal review process.
Why we chose it: We picked Blue Yonder for its wide range of supply chain management solutions, including demand planning, inventory management, supply planning, and order fulfillment. Blue Yonder incorporates advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, enabling predictive analytics and smarter decision-making. These technologies help forecast demand more accurately, optimize inventory levels, and improve overall supply chain resilience.
Blue Yonder is designed to integrate seamlessly with other enterprise systems such as ERP software, WMS software, and TMS software. This interoperability ensures data flows smoothly across different parts of the organization, improving visibility and coordination.
Best Overall: What We Like Dynamic eCommerce and in-store experiences Predictive scenario planning for complete visibility, automation and control Supply chain planning with transportation and logistics What We Don’t Like Some users report disruptions due to backend job failures Occasional delays and system freezes when handling large datasets Some users report slow support response Try Demo Get PricingWhy we chose it: We picked Anaplan for its advanced analytics capabilities, including predictive analytics and machine learning, to enhance the accuracy of forecasts. Additionally, the platform supports scenario planning, allowing businesses to evaluate the potential impacts of various scenarios.
Anaplan’s platform is highly customizable, enabling businesses to tailor their forecasting models to their specific needs. This flexibility allows companies to incorporate unique business rules, workflows, and scenarios into their forecasting processes. Anaplan can handle high volumes of data and complex models without negatively impacting performance. This scalability is vital for large enterprises or businesses with complex supply chains that need to process and analyze large datasets to generate accurate forecasts.
Best Forecasting Tools: What We Like Connected Planning platform enables collaborative planning Hyperblock™ modeling and calculation engine Unified cloud-based software What We Don’t Like Pricing is on the high end No embedded ETL tools in base plan Specific pricing details unavailable from developer Client OS: Web Deployment: Cloud Hosted Try Demo Get PricingWhy we chose it: We found Magaya best for managing the logistics process, from quoting to billing. Magaya allows users to quickly generate accurate quotes for customers based on real-time rates, including carrier rates, surcharges, and other fees. This feature simplifies the quoting process and helps in securing business more efficiently. Additionally, users can manage all types of shipments, including air, ocean, and ground, within a single platform. This includes creating shipments, consolidating cargo, and managing all related documentation, providing a full overview of each shipment’s status.
Magaya offers integration with various carriers, enabling users to book shipments directly within the software and access carrier schedules. This integration simplifies the booking process and improves visibility throughout the transportation lifecycle. The software includes tools for managing customs compliance, including generating necessary documentation and electronic filing with customs authorities. This feature is crucial for ensuring smooth cross-border shipments and avoiding delays or penalties.
Best for Freight Forwarding: What We Like Predictable pricing Fast implementation Built-in WMS What We Don’t Like Learning curve for new users Some users have reported difficulty with connecting the API Price Range: $$ Starting Price: $200/user/month Client OS: Windows, iOS, Android, Web Deployment: Cloud Hosted Try Demo Get PricingWhy we chose it: We picked Precoro for its spend management capabilities, including approval workflows, real-time budgets and reports, requisition, ordering, and billing. These features help businesses save time, reduce costs, monitor overall spending, and make more informed decisions on expenditures and planning. Its real-time reporting allows for immediate visibility into cost centers and budget allocations, facilitating adjustments to procurement processes based on accurate and up-to-date information.
Precoro leverages analytics to streamline purchasing processes, offering detailed approval rules for operational efficiency and record-keeping. Users have clear visibility into the approval chain and transaction details. Precoro’s cloud-based nature allows for mobile approvals, ensuring that critical decisions can be made anytime.
Best for Spend Management: What We Like Simple and straightforward pricing Both punchout and Punch-In catalogs Integrations for the top accounting systems e.g. QuickBooks Online, NetSuite, Xero What We Don’t Like Few native integrations Visually cluttered purchase requisitions Poor user experience on mobile app Price Range: $$ Starting Price: $35/user/month Client OS: Web Deployment: Cloud Hosted Try Demo Get PricingWhy we chose it: Netstock is our top pick for advanced inventory control and optimization. One of Netstock’s strengths is its demand forecasting capabilities. It uses historical sales data and advanced algorithms to predict future inventory needs, helping companies to maintain optimal stock levels and reduce the risk of stockouts or excess inventory.
The software includes sophisticated analytics tools that provide insights into inventory performance. It can highlight issues like overstock, understock, and product obsolescence for proactive inventory control. Effective SCM often involves multiple departments and external partners. Netstock provides collaboration tools that enable seamless communication and coordination among all stakeholders involved in inventory management.
Best Inventory Tools: What We Like Integrates with leading ERP systems Easy to navigate dashboard Automated classification of inventory items based on sales value and velocity What We Don’t Like Cannot leave comments when adjusting forecasts Cannot indicate demand outliers for future forecasts Learning curve for new users Client OS: Web Deployment: Cloud Hosted Try Demo Get PricingWhy we chose it: Oracle acquired NetSuite in 2016, making the integration between NetSuite and Oracle SCM Cloud more seamless than with other third-party applications. This integration allows for smoother data flow and process synchronization between ERP functions provided by NetSuite and the supply chain management capabilities of Oracle SCM Cloud.
Oracle SCM Cloud offers many supply chain management functionalities, including procurement, product lifecycle management, supply chain planning, logistics, and manufacturing. This comprehensive suite can enhance NetSuite’s ERP capabilities, providing users with a more advanced solution to manage their business operations.
Best for NetSuite Users: What We Like Automates manual supply chain tasks AI-powered forecasting tools Real-time visibility and control What We Don’t Like Pricing not provided by the developer May require additional training Client OS: Windows, Web Deployment: Cloud Hosted Try Demo Get PricingWhy we chose it: Logiwa is our top choice for eCommerce businesses. Efficient warehouse management is crucial for online companies to process and ship orders to meet customer expectations for fast delivery. Logiwa’s warehouse management features help organize and optimize operations, from stocking and storage to picking, packing, and shipping. This reduces processing times and errors, directly impacting customer satisfaction and repeat business.
Logiwa helps eCommerce companies maintain optimal inventory levels with features like demand forecasting, replenishment recommendations, and multi-location inventory management. This improves inventory turnover and reduces carrying costs. The software offers order management features, including order tracking, batch processing, and automated routing. This ensures that orders are fulfilled accurately and efficiently, enhancing customer satisfaction.
Best for eCommerce: What We Like Offers various picking methods such as wave and zone picking Integrates with over 240 eCommerce, shipping, and accounting platforms Allows for real-time feedback on worker performance What We Don’t Like Limited out of box features–requires personalized support Unfriendly user interface Onboarding process is too rapid, making it difficult for users to understand the platform Client OS: iOS, Android, Web Deployment: Cloud Hosted Try Demo Get PricingWhy we chose it: Intuendi made our list due to its machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities. The platform offers several forecasting methodologies, including top-down and bottom-up approaches, to best match the distinct requirements of each enterprise. Users have the flexibility to fine-tune how data influences forecasts, ensuring the system’s output is closely aligned with their operational strategies.
Such detailed customization enables companies to maintain optimal inventory levels by providing timely alerts on potential understocking or overstocking scenarios. In response to these alerts, the Intuendi AI can proactively recommend the precise inventory quantity to order, the optimal timing for these orders, and the most suitable suppliers based on delivery speed or cost-effectiveness. This proactive approach to inventory management aids businesses in optimizing their supply chain efficiency and reducing associated risks.
Best AI-Powered Option: What We Like Cloud-based software is accessible anytime, anywhere Real-time detection of stockouts and overstock risk Data driven forecasting of new products What We Don’t Like Integrating with third-party ERP solutions may require some customization Minimum 3 users No mobile app Price Range: $$$$ Starting Price: $1,500/month Client OS: Web Deployment: Cloud Hosted Try Demo Get PricingSupply chain management (SCM) software helps manufacturers, logistics providers, distributors, suppliers, and retailers manage the flow of goods and services between locations as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. Known as a type of logistics software, it assists in acquiring raw materials for a finished product delivered to a customer.
SCM software makes it possible to plan, control, and execute the supply chain processes that make the manufacturing and distribution of finished goods a reality. Taking a holistic approach to supply chain management, SCM software maximizes cost reduction opportunities in getting products provisioned from the vendor to the customer.
Considering every possible strategic or business analysis possibility, SCM software enables organizations throughout the supply chain to make informed decisions about network optimization, business partnership planning, and product lifecycle management. This is accomplished by coordinating raw materials, purchase orders, vendors, warehouse management, and distribution.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Requisition and approvals management | Automates the collection, approval, and fulfillment of requisitions. Often linked with purchase order management systems, this feature helps employees begin acquiring the necessary goods and services to fulfill orders for customers. |
| Purchase order management | Allows you to issue orders for services and products. Tracks all key order info, including the vendor, purchase quantities, item or service purchased, delivery timeframes, payment terms, and costs. |
| Vendor management | Manages all levels of communication with vendors. Measures ship windows times, how quickly documents are submitted, effective utilization of containers, and accuracy of shipments; double checks quantity and quality of received products. |
| Supplier Management | Includes contract management, risk management, purchase order processing, supplier performance reviews, and product lifecycle management to maintain supplier relationships. |
| Demand planning | Utilizes information from the point of sale, ship-to or warehouse data, social data, or the weather to understand demand better. Sets performance benchmarks, allocates resources, and optimizes targets. |
| Sales forecasting | Uses machine learning to anticipate sales levels and aid appropriate production processes. Looks at analytics such as seasonality, historical sales, product launch dates, etc. |
| Warehouse management | Provides powerful tools to design a warehouse’s workflow, control stock, generate bills and reports, and manage yards, docks, and labor. |
| Inventory control | Keeps track of all information about the items your company builds, buys, stores, or sells. |
| Product lifecycle management | Reduces cost on product launch and meets market demands to maximize the profitable years of the product. |
Supply chain software simplifies the intricate and complex process of getting products from the supplier to the customer. With SCM software, supply chain providers can gain insight and control over every aspect of the manufacturing and distribution process, including:
Here is our list of top benefits of supply chain management software:
Increased visibility and control over the supply chain makes it possible to identify potential inventory, distribution, and labor issues. SCM software can prevent delays and ensure products are delivered when promised by proactively enabling supply chain providers to respond to changes in real-time.
SCM software’s business intelligence capabilities can identify suppliers offering the best commodities or transportation prices.
SCM software maximizes warehouse efficiency by making just-in-time inventory management possible, ensuring goods are only received as needed. Just-in-time inventory can greatly reduce waste and decrease the cost of unnecessary storage.
Comprehensive tools for demand planning and collaboration among multiple suppliers and distributors can prevent shortages and backorders by maintaining an accurate view of product and supply levels.
SCM software analyzes the movement of materials among warehouses and helps plan for current and future needs, enabling supply chain producers to free up space in warehouses or distribution centers.
Live insights offering transparency throughout the order fulfillment process is possible with SCM software, letting customers know the status of their purchase across the supply chain.
Business intelligence and trend analysis features make it possible to manage and predict demand accurately. SCM software enables supply chain providers to make data-informed decisions about inventory and sales, potentially saving on inventory and warehousing costs and maximizing opportunities for production.
Better supply chain visibility means the location of any given item can be tracked, enabling products to be built, shipped, and delivered as quickly and accurately as possible.
SCM software helps coordinate and execute production and logistical operations, making it simpler to manage production lines and cut down on holdups or delays.
Supply chain management software will affect almost every department in your organization. As such, you’ll want to find a solution that gives you the visibility you need to ensure your automated workflows and staff operate as intended.
At its core, a fully-integrated SCM software will help you through product development, sales and operations planning (S&OP), procurement, production, logistics, and warehouse management.
While many SCM software solutions exist, finding the best choice for your operation doesn’t necessarily mean selecting the most popular or most extensive solution. Be sure to take time and carefully assess the different features and capabilities of any SCM software you’re considering.
Sometimes used as a synonym for supply chain management software, logistics software manages the supply chain of products from their point of origin to the point of consumption via transportation, inventory, warehousing, material-handling, and packaging features.
Whether your business deals with inbound logistics (linear flow of raw materials from suppliers into a warehouse) or outbound logistics (storing, transporting, and distributing goods to customers), logistics software can help your business improve production planning, sourcing, procurement, packaging, and dispatching.
Shipping software integrates with eCommerce marketplaces and order management tools to help provide real-time shipping calculations for your products. These solutions prepare all the necessary documents from a single system and let you choose the carriers that provide the lowest cost and/or the best shipping services.
Advanced, cloud-based shipping software can be thought more like a freight broker/forwarding/management system, which is best for companies handling their own supply chain distribution process.
Order fulfillment software automates order processing via sales order entry, inventory management, picking and packing items, and tracking shipments of goods to customers. These software options help simplify the workflows needed to efficiently ship the most goods in the shortest amount of time.
Order fulfillment is typically a feature set within a supply chain management software. These larger enterprise-level systems usually include additional capabilities like demand planning and sales forecasting.
Demand planning software is a sales and operations planning (S&OP) technology that meets customer demand with the necessary level of supply. The software coordinates data from separate units of the business (primarily sales, marketing, and operations) to make more informed supply chain decisions.
Demand planning software is a forecasting solution that improves your supply chain performance. It’s similar to sales forecasting software, which better prepares your business and sales team with expected sales and revenue that you plan to achieve over a set length of time.
Procurement software allows you to issue orders for services and products by tracking all key order info in real-time, including the vendor, purchase quantities, item or service purchased, delivery timeframes, payment terms, and costs. A cloud-based procurement system will handle submitting requisitions for approval, to sourcing, tracking purchase orders, and reconciling receipts and invoices.
Procuring needed goods and materials is a key cog in the supply chain wheel. For example:
Cloud-based warehouse management packages make it possible to manage and coordinate inventory and actions throughout a warehouse or distribution center. In order to oversee warehouse operations, WMS software gives warehouse managers powerful tools to:
WMS software leads to a higher accuracy of order fulfillment, optimizes picking and shipping, and leads to faster delivery times.
The best management software for any supply chain partner depends entirely on the scope of your business. Selecting the right supply chain management system to meet your organization’s needs may depend on its size:
Here are some of the most common trends SCM software providers have developed solutions for:
