Wouldn’t it be a sweet world if you could predict the future and be spot on? In a market where customer demands shift in the blink of an eye, new tech is constantly emerging. Predictive analytics is on the horizon for the total supply chain and after-sales service landscape. This industry is projected to be worth more than $9 billion by 2020.
Leveraging Systems
Retailers need to leverage emerging tech and predictive real-time analytics. Digitising the supply chain is also crucial to gain end to end and real-time visibility. Leveraging predictive analytics to plan for inventory demands can minimise waste and builds on legacy systems. It also improves accuracy which is the next big step for supply chain professionals. Building this into your strategy and operations is no easy feat. Then there’s IoT and the Cloud to harness.
Customers, Profits and Performance
While analytics and efficiency is one thing, how can you create a proper, cutting-edge supply chain without focusing everything around the customer? After all, they really have become the centre of attention in every industry. Discovering the best way to rejig your supply chain to serve your customer and increase performance seems to be the key. Some of the major transformations that have seen this come to fruition are the following:
- Embedding a transformative omni-channel operating model to improve customer-centricity
- Segmenting your supply chain around your customers to remain competitive
- Leveraging SC technology and CX methodologies for effective and seamless global market expansion
- Ensuring your operation is at full capacity and customer-centric with minimal expenses
- Redesigning your process and operations to achieve greater customer centricity
- Improving the quality of your global SC and developing a strategic roadmap to improve CX
It’s the more ‘futuristic’ side of supply chain; drones, autonomous vehicles, co-bots, 3D printing. I bet you’re wondering are any of these a priority. Is it also worth the investment right now? It’s potentially the most exciting thing of all, talking about all the future possibilities.
Incorporating Innovations to Your Operations
But it’s not worth a dime if you can’t draw it back to the present and develop a practical strategic roadmap. Front of mind for supply chain professionals is the future of last-mile delivery. Assessing the options and selecting the right fit technology can help you deliver strategic goals.
Developing the roadmap to introduce this tech and operating model into your operations starts up your way to success. Drones may seem a far off futuristic concept, but plans for their introduction into a number of leading organisations’ last mile operations, are progressing quite rapidly. The biggest barrier to overcome though will be legislative barriers and understanding the future regulations around drones to prepare an effective strategy.
There is also a disruption to the supply chain that will be created through the introduction of autonomous vehicles. Despite what tech you are attracted to, there will always be the same age-old puzzle of how best to seamlessly integrate it into your operations. You have to ensure minimal disruption to business and the most ROI.