Supply Chain Digital Twins Enable Analytics and Resiliency

In March 2024, the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore Harbor collapsed due to a cargo ship crash, resulting in six fatalities and significant economic impact. The bridge collapse halted sea traffic for a month, affecting businesses that rely on it for importing goods such as vehicles, work trucks, plywood, laminated wood, nickel, zinc, aluminum, and other materials. Rebuilding the bridge may take four years. To improve supply chain resiliency, companies are increasingly adopting digital twins of their supply chains using graph databases. Graph databases model connections and dependencies in a supply chain more effectively than traditional table-based systems. They can answer complex questions about components, suppliers, assembly facilities, capacities, costs, locations, throughput times, and other factors. A digital twin allows businesses to trace causes or consequences, uncover alternative paths, simulate the effect of remediation, perform deeper analysis, and optimize their supply chains for resiliency. By breaking down risk from disruptions into probability and cost components, companies can estimate the likelihood and impact of potential disruptions and take proactive measures to improve their supply chain's resilience.