Will Celestica lead a SCM Social Media Revolution? They should!

Posted on February 18, 2015 By Christian Ismodes & Dolores Montavez

Organization Name: Celestica Inc.

Industry: Multinational electronics manufacturing services

Name of Contact: Craig H. Muhlhauser

Web References: www.celestica.com

The incorporation of social media tools and strategies in the Supply Chain Management process it’s like a ticking bomb waiting to be discovered and activated. Reason would tell us that it should be done by leaders in the field, those applying innovative practices and state-of-the-art technologies. Of course, it could also come from any creative mind with the ability to think outside the box, but Celestica claims to be one of those innovative leaders and their performance in the world’s markets and available data suggest their claim, it’s actually true!

• ACCES Employment ‏@ACCESEmployment Feb 13

  Live tweeting from a site visit at @Celestica_Inc with IT, Supply Chain, Engineering, youth and Leadership clients #lifeatcelestica

  Celestica describes itself as a global supply chain providing flexible solutions to their customers. Using their global resources they provide a competitive advantage acting as seamless extensions of their operations, and providing responsive and collaborative services. Celestica portrays itself as successful because they use leading technologies,  advanced processes, and employ smart people. But when it comes to social media, Celestica is one of many companies using it very effectively, but in traditional ways –marketing, customer engagement, public relation and corporate communications www.celesticascmanagedservices.com

  Yet, social media could also be used in relationship building, particularly in developing trust between buyers and suppliers, adding depth to the “collaborative behaviours between supply chain partners that can emerged and strengthened in the course of long term business relationships.” (1)

One of Celestica’s feature product is a software  that approaches supply chain management as a system of integrated parts, linked to each other throughout the process and constantly sharing information, facilitating making decisions, lowering cost, shortening order fulfillment and such other benefits.

This is technology at its best, yet human relations lay at the core of any long-lasting business relationship and this is where social media innovation could bring about a revolution in the way supply chain business leaders develop trust and create collaborative alliances that safeguard long-term business performance and success.

If we take as an example the Japanese model of keiretsu and apply social media to the way partners communicate, build trust and asymmetry among themselves, we can see the merits of envisioning how social media could deepen and advance the fabric of interlocking business relationships and shareholdings.