Like many other business functions, technology will radically transform supply chain management. Below, we\u2019ll explore a few trends to watch in the months and years to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How technology is changing supply chain management<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHere are a few instances that demonstrate how both digital and physical technologies are affecting supplier management<\/a> and even the very structure of the supply chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe blockchain offers end-to-end supply chain visibility<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nBlockchain technology can increase supply chain transparency, resiliency, and efficiency, by ensuring that data is trusted and secure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to IBM<\/a>, many problems with supply chain data can be traced back to human error and inefficiency. <\/p>\n\n\n\nIn one of their surveys, more than 70% of supply chain leaders reported significant improvements in data \u201cquality, integrity, visibility, and speed\u201d when human intervention was removed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By providing a single, real-time source of truth, blockchain\u2014or distributed ledger technology\u2014removes unnecessary complexity, while offering reliable insights across the entire supply chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those enhanced insights can then offer significant improvements throughout the entire supply network, from greater resiliency<\/a> to improved performance to shifted expectations among vendors, partners, and customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAutomation can cut costs in freight shipping, logistics, and delivery<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nWhile Amazon has certainly made headlines with its impending adoption of drone delivery, this retail giant isn\u2019t the only company leveraging new technology to streamline its delivery services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
UPS<\/a> has adopted a number of AI-powered solutions designed to enhance the customer experience, reduce delivery costs, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA few of their methods include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- ORION, a proprietary route optimization tool, that is expected to slash over 100 million delivery miles<\/li>
- EDGE, an internal logistics and operations platform, that uses real-time data to help employees make more informed decisions<\/li>
- Testing drone delivery<\/a> in their own bid to keep up with Amazon\u2019s ambitious plans<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
UPS is only one example among many companies that are automating and digitizing their supply chains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the near future, we can expect to see more automation across every point in the supply chain, from robots<\/a> to autonomous ships<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSupply chain management software upgrades workforce productivity<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nAs workplaces become more digital and integrated, new software solutions are necessarily replacing old ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Supply chain platforms such as Oracle Fusion Cloud SCM<\/a>, Requis<\/a>, Suuchi<\/a>, and SAP\u2019s supply chain management software<\/a>\u2014among many others\u2014are designed to provide comprehensive solutions for today\u2019s digital-first supply chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFeatures of these platforms naturally vary from vendor to vendor, and each has its target audience and set of use cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some features of these platforms include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Dashboards that combine supply chain managers\u2019 most-performed tasks into a single location<\/li>
- Project management, communication, and collaboration tools<\/li>
- Real-time data, analytics, and reporting<\/li>
- Transportation management<\/li>
- Dynamic inventory allocation and management<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The most advanced of these platforms are designed with digital innovation in mind and are ready to integrate emerging technology, such as AI and the Internet of Things (IoT).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Emerging technology will enable autonomous supply chains<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nWhen we look at trends such as autonomous supply chain planning<\/a> and autonomous manufacturing<\/a>, it\u2019s easy to understand why some professionals use the term \u201cautonomous supply chains.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nAfter all, nearly every stage in the supply chain is primed for automation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Autonomy will influence supply chains in the following ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- AI in procurement<\/a> will increasingly augment tasks currently performed by humans, including decision-making tasks that are currently relegated to humans, such as spend analysis, supplier assessments, and compliance<\/li>
- Year by year, 3D printing and robotics are increasingly automating manufacturing, increasing efficiency and decreasing production timelines<\/li>
- As we saw above, automation<\/a> also means that fewer humans will be needed to carry out technical and manual operations in freight forwarding, logistics, and delivery, which will likely result in a leaner workforce<\/li>
- Autonomous supply networks will be more reliable, less prone to error, more cost-efficient, and more sustainable, among other things<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
While humans will always remain in the supply chain loop to a certain extent, we can certainly expect to see more and more digital autonomy in the years ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Final thoughts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe trends covered above carry many implications for supply chain management, business leaders, and employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To ensure employees remain productive and relevant in driving digital transformations forward, upskilling and cross-training employees<\/a> will be mandatory. This is only one of many reasons why digital adoption<\/a> and in-house training programs have begun to grow so rapidly in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhile automation is one of the primary concerns for many workers, this shift is only the tip of the iceberg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The blockchain offers end-to-end supply chain visibility<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nBlockchain technology can increase supply chain transparency, resiliency, and efficiency, by ensuring that data is trusted and secure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to IBM<\/a>, many problems with supply chain data can be traced back to human error and inefficiency. <\/p>\n\n\n\nIn one of their surveys, more than 70% of supply chain leaders reported significant improvements in data \u201cquality, integrity, visibility, and speed\u201d when human intervention was removed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By providing a single, real-time source of truth, blockchain\u2014or distributed ledger technology\u2014removes unnecessary complexity, while offering reliable insights across the entire supply chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those enhanced insights can then offer significant improvements throughout the entire supply network, from greater resiliency<\/a> to improved performance to shifted expectations among vendors, partners, and customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAutomation can cut costs in freight shipping, logistics, and delivery<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nWhile Amazon has certainly made headlines with its impending adoption of drone delivery, this retail giant isn\u2019t the only company leveraging new technology to streamline its delivery services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
UPS<\/a> has adopted a number of AI-powered solutions designed to enhance the customer experience, reduce delivery costs, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA few of their methods include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- ORION, a proprietary route optimization tool, that is expected to slash over 100 million delivery miles<\/li>
- EDGE, an internal logistics and operations platform, that uses real-time data to help employees make more informed decisions<\/li>
- Testing drone delivery<\/a> in their own bid to keep up with Amazon\u2019s ambitious plans<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
UPS is only one example among many companies that are automating and digitizing their supply chains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the near future, we can expect to see more automation across every point in the supply chain, from robots<\/a> to autonomous ships<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSupply chain management software upgrades workforce productivity<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nAs workplaces become more digital and integrated, new software solutions are necessarily replacing old ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Supply chain platforms such as Oracle Fusion Cloud SCM<\/a>, Requis<\/a>, Suuchi<\/a>, and SAP\u2019s supply chain management software<\/a>\u2014among many others\u2014are designed to provide comprehensive solutions for today\u2019s digital-first supply chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFeatures of these platforms naturally vary from vendor to vendor, and each has its target audience and set of use cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some features of these platforms include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Dashboards that combine supply chain managers\u2019 most-performed tasks into a single location<\/li>
- Project management, communication, and collaboration tools<\/li>
- Real-time data, analytics, and reporting<\/li>
- Transportation management<\/li>
- Dynamic inventory allocation and management<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The most advanced of these platforms are designed with digital innovation in mind and are ready to integrate emerging technology, such as AI and the Internet of Things (IoT).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Emerging technology will enable autonomous supply chains<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nWhen we look at trends such as autonomous supply chain planning<\/a> and autonomous manufacturing<\/a>, it\u2019s easy to understand why some professionals use the term \u201cautonomous supply chains.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nAfter all, nearly every stage in the supply chain is primed for automation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Autonomy will influence supply chains in the following ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- AI in procurement<\/a> will increasingly augment tasks currently performed by humans, including decision-making tasks that are currently relegated to humans, such as spend analysis, supplier assessments, and compliance<\/li>
- Year by year, 3D printing and robotics are increasingly automating manufacturing, increasing efficiency and decreasing production timelines<\/li>
- As we saw above, automation<\/a> also means that fewer humans will be needed to carry out technical and manual operations in freight forwarding, logistics, and delivery, which will likely result in a leaner workforce<\/li>
- Autonomous supply networks will be more reliable, less prone to error, more cost-efficient, and more sustainable, among other things<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
While humans will always remain in the supply chain loop to a certain extent, we can certainly expect to see more and more digital autonomy in the years ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Final thoughts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe trends covered above carry many implications for supply chain management, business leaders, and employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To ensure employees remain productive and relevant in driving digital transformations forward, upskilling and cross-training employees<\/a> will be mandatory. This is only one of many reasons why digital adoption<\/a> and in-house training programs have begun to grow so rapidly in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhile automation is one of the primary concerns for many workers, this shift is only the tip of the iceberg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In one of their surveys, more than 70% of supply chain leaders reported significant improvements in data \u201cquality, integrity, visibility, and speed\u201d when human intervention was removed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By providing a single, real-time source of truth, blockchain\u2014or distributed ledger technology\u2014removes unnecessary complexity, while offering reliable insights across the entire supply chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those enhanced insights can then offer significant improvements throughout the entire supply network, from greater resiliency<\/a> to improved performance to shifted expectations among vendors, partners, and customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While Amazon has certainly made headlines with its impending adoption of drone delivery, this retail giant isn\u2019t the only company leveraging new technology to streamline its delivery services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n UPS<\/a> has adopted a number of AI-powered solutions designed to enhance the customer experience, reduce delivery costs, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A few of their methods include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n UPS is only one example among many companies that are automating and digitizing their supply chains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the near future, we can expect to see more automation across every point in the supply chain, from robots<\/a> to autonomous ships<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As workplaces become more digital and integrated, new software solutions are necessarily replacing old ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Supply chain platforms such as Oracle Fusion Cloud SCM<\/a>, Requis<\/a>, Suuchi<\/a>, and SAP\u2019s supply chain management software<\/a>\u2014among many others\u2014are designed to provide comprehensive solutions for today\u2019s digital-first supply chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Features of these platforms naturally vary from vendor to vendor, and each has its target audience and set of use cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some features of these platforms include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most advanced of these platforms are designed with digital innovation in mind and are ready to integrate emerging technology, such as AI and the Internet of Things (IoT).<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we look at trends such as autonomous supply chain planning<\/a> and autonomous manufacturing<\/a>, it\u2019s easy to understand why some professionals use the term \u201cautonomous supply chains.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After all, nearly every stage in the supply chain is primed for automation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Autonomy will influence supply chains in the following ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n While humans will always remain in the supply chain loop to a certain extent, we can certainly expect to see more and more digital autonomy in the years ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The trends covered above carry many implications for supply chain management, business leaders, and employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To ensure employees remain productive and relevant in driving digital transformations forward, upskilling and cross-training employees<\/a> will be mandatory. This is only one of many reasons why digital adoption<\/a> and in-house training programs have begun to grow so rapidly in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While automation is one of the primary concerns for many workers, this shift is only the tip of the iceberg.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAutomation can cut costs in freight shipping, logistics, and delivery<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Supply chain management software upgrades workforce productivity<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Emerging technology will enable autonomous supply chains<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Final thoughts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.walkme.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/04\/Data-integrity-A_16643bf1.png\"\/)
<\/a>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Technology-driven disruption is transforming supply chain management from top to bottom. While change can be challenging and many may be