We were fortunate to attend the SCMA National Conference and Gala to catch up on the latest and greatest in intelligent supply chain. It was an inspiring event that really left its mark on us and we can’t wait to utilize what we learned. We want to thank our partner Honeywell for sponsoring us to attend!
Here’s a quick recap
Changes are here:
Linking back to our theme of Geek Tank, the supply chain world is changing and it’s time to get ahead ourselves. We caught a bit of a break but things have really picked up with the rapid growth of ecommerce. We have to tune in on such trends as “reshoring” (opposite of outsourcing), local sourcing of products like fresh food, AI implementations, and IOT.
Robotics and AI:
For a while, we ignored the presence of robotics in supply chain because it had its drawbacks. Many deemed it to be too experimental, but as of 2019 the technology has made leaps and bounds. Alibaba, DHL and Amazon have already made the switch in some of their essential warehousing activities.
The Future is Bright:
- In 2025, millennials will comprise of 75% of the workforce in Canada.
- 83% of customers will demand more digital services.
- E-commerce is becoming a challenge & an opportunity for rapid growth (Walmart, Amazon & Alibaba)
- IOT, Robotics & AI are the 3 key disruptive trends in the logistics industry.
- 80% of the global DC’s are manually operated. The aging workforce, lack of qualified workers & shortage of labor are becoming a hindrance. In 2016, DHL launched a collaborative robotics agenda. We feel in the next 3-5 years that the adoption of robotics will be critical.
- IOT will play a key role in logistics, such as using RFID to monitor temperature and conditions in air freight shipments
- Algorithms will be and is essential to a well-maintained supply chain ecosystem in not just the logistics and transportation industry, but also others
What’s next?
The 3 day event was jam-packed, but we had a lot of fun too. We hope you are now seeing your supply chain with optimism and fresh new ideas. Be sure to share them with us, so we can help you make them into reality.
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