In just over a minute, this video shows how a connected supply chain network helps teams reduce complexity and act with greater confidence. Rather than building and maintaining one-off connections with each trading partner, companies can access e2open’s network of more than 500,000 connections across manufacturing, logistics, and distribution. With those connections already in place, teams can improve supply chain visibility across trading partners, coordinate faster, and keep goods moving with fewer delays and missed opportunities.
Learn more about e2net Open Partner Network, or explore how connected data supports planning, logistics, and supply collaboration.
When partners are disconnected, the cost shows up everywhere
Most supply chains run on relationships that were connected one at a time. Each new supplier, carrier, or distributor starts another integration project, and each one adds to what the team maintains afterward. The result is a lattice of point-to-point integrations that hold up until something changes.
When information cannot move freely between partners, the effects compound:
Costs climb, because every connection is built, monitored, and maintained separately
Delays spiral, because information arrives late, incomplete, or not at all
Opportunities vanish, because no one sees the shift in time to act on it
Data is often available, but disconnected systems make it difficult to use that information quickly and consistently. When supply chain collaboration depends on fragmented tools, teams spend more time reconciling updates than responding to what is happening across the partner ecosystem.
What changes when the connections already exist
Plugging into an established supply chain network changes the starting point. Instead of building a connection before work with a partner can begin, the connection is already live. The partner onboarding effort that used to sit at the front of every new relationship can largely disappear.
When partners operate on the same network, companies can:
Bring on new partners without starting an integration project for each one
Work from information all parties can see, rather than reconciling separate systems after the fact
Improve supply chain visibility across trading partners, suppliers, carriers, and distributors
Respond to disruption while there is still time to act on it
Spend less time resolving problems and more time on growth
The shift is from building connections to using them. A connected supply chain network gives companies a faster way to collaborate across the people, systems, and partners that keep goods moving.
What’s ahead: why an open partner network is the way forward
The e2open network is open, which means a partner connects once and can then work with any other member of the network. That is different from a closed system, where each connection serves a single company’s supply chain and has to be rebuilt by the next company that wants it. As supply chains extend further and change more often, an open partner network for supply chain collaboration means the network can become more useful as it grows, rather than more expensive to maintain.
For companies trying to reduce point-to-point supply chain integrations, that matters. Reusable connections can lower the effort required to work across a growing partner ecosystem while supporting faster, more consistent supplier collaboration.
The scale behind it:
500,000
manufacturing, logistics, and distribution partners ready to connect
19.5+
billion transactions processed annually
230+
countries and territories with full trade coverage
240
trade agreements supported and maintained worldwide
Watch the video to see what a connected supply chain network changes for a supply chain team.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a connected supply chain network?
A connected supply chain network is a shared digital environment where companies, suppliers, carriers, distributors, and other trading partners can exchange information through reusable connections. Instead of building separate point-to-point integrations for every relationship, organizations can collaborate through an established network that supports faster partner onboarding, better visibility, and more coordinated decisions.
How does a supply chain network improve supply chain collaboration?
A supply chain network improves supply chain collaboration by giving trading partners a more consistent way to share data, updates, and transaction information. When partners work from connected information instead of disconnected systems, teams can reduce manual reconciliation, respond faster to disruptions, and coordinate decisions across supply, logistics, manufacturing, and distribution.
Why are point-to-point integrations a challenge for supply chains?
Point-to-point integrations can become expensive and difficult to maintain because each connection is built separately. As the partner ecosystem grows, companies often spend more time managing integrations than using the information those connections provide. A connected supply chain network helps reduce point-to-point supply chain integrations by making partner connections reusable across the network.
How does partner onboarding change with an open partner network?
With an open partner network, partner onboarding can move faster because many trading partners are already connected. Companies can begin collaborating without starting a new integration project for every supplier, carrier, or distributor. This helps teams expand their partner ecosystem, improve supply chain visibility across trading partners, and act sooner when conditions change.
Why is e2net important to connected supply chains?
e2net is e2open’s Open Partner Network and a foundational layer of the e2open platform. It connects more than 500,000 manufacturing, logistics, channel, and distribution partners, helping companies use existing connections instead of building each one from scratch. That network supports supplier collaboration, partner onboarding, and better visibility across complex supply chains.
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