The romance between supply chain and emerging technologies is exciting. But a fulfilling relationship requires more ingredients than just technology.
Trust has become more important in global supply chain as it is increasingly complex and opaque. The multi-fold increase in product variants and the drive for speed to market, a shift toward mass personalization, growing logistical complexities, and increasing globalization necessitate a more connected and nimble, yet flexible and resilient supply chain. Today’s pandemic has brought them to the forefront. In our recent research of 400 global enterprises, supply chains emerged as one of the more impacted process due to the pandemic shock.
Emerging technologies across the Triple-A trifecta (automation, artificial intelligence, analytics), Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain have captured the attention of supply chain executives with the promise to build unprecedented solutions to almost unsolvable issues around trust, transparency and traceability. The opportunity for potential impact of emerging technologies in supply chain is undoubtable, and the winners will have a sustainable competitive advantage. However, most well intentioned technology initiatives fail to reach production and deliver on the promise. The challenges are greater than just technology – commitment, mindset, culture, process, talent, data, and siloed approaches must also be overcome. The “Why” and the “What” are clear – now we need focus on the “How”.
This roundtable will look at:
1. How has the pandemic shock impacted supply chains across the globe? What are the biggest challenges to develop more resilient, trustworthy, and sustainable chains?
2. What is the promise of emerging technologies (Triple-A trifecta, IoT, blockchain) for supply chains? Is the promise real, or is it just hype? Are there credible use cases?
3. Why are there so few industrialized examples of emerging technologies in supply chains? What are the challenges and emerging best practices?
