At the end of the day, everyone is just trying to live his or her best life. Your best life might be different from someone else’s, which is why some people are driven to Steve Jobs-ian business success, while others are just as happy to play video games in their mom’s basement well into their 40s. No judgment here; choose whichever path feels right. And regardless of what you set your sights on, they say “If you’re going to be a ditch digger, be the best ditch digger there is.” Similarly, if your business relies on a complex system of supply chain partners, you might as well make the best use of your resources, improve efficiency, maximize profitability, and make sure it’s sustainable, all while delivering a delightful customer experience that places you head and shoulders above your competition.

Simple, right?

Obviously no, not so simple. As manufacturing has traversed each new generational wave of innovation, businesses are often left with a collection of disparate technologies across the multitude of vendors, suppliers, and factories that they employ. While perhaps functional, these structures aren’t always streamlined into one efficient system. Data has become siloed and end-to-end visibility doesn’t exist. Lacking for this kind of insight can have an adverse effect on meeting modern customer needs.

Incorporating supply chain optimization — that elusive state of efficiency and responsiveness where customers’ needs are met through a holistic view of the end-to-end supply chain — could save more than $700 billion in waste food waste per year. It’s nothing to shake a stick at.