Naomi Stewart
Marketing Manager, Easyfairs
No one seems to have a solution for the many unforeseen challenges the global supply chain currently faces. However, the digital world just might.
The global geopolitical landscape remains highly unstable, meaning supply chains will continue to buckle and strain. Every industry is feeling the effects of the ongoing Red Sea crisis, the continued war in Ukraine and widespread industrial action, making it difficult to build resilience.
The potential for further disruption as a result of unforeseen extreme weather events or geopolitical tensions is an extra layer of complication that is hard to plan for.
Diverse, digitalised, resilient supply chain
The route to success in this landscape lies in a highly diversified supply chain — one that gives businesses the flexibility to keep materials moving from a wide number of sources. This may involve dual sourcing certain key materials, digitalising supply chains and using smart packaging to minimise losses along the way.
The aim of increased digitisation is
to help businesses optimise their
resources throughout the supply chain.
Optimising supply chains with Industry 4.0
The sheer scale of disruption, and the flexibility and agility needed to overcome it, are only accelerating the world’s drive towards Industry 4.0. As the world becomes more reliant on global interconnectivity to route around patches of disruption, it seems inevitable that more businesses will adopt Industry 4.0 principles.
The aim of increased digitisation is to help businesses optimise their resources throughout the supply chain. The widespread adoption of smart devices across the Internet of Things (IoT) means every aspect of a product’s lifecycle can be analysed in granular detail, enabling supply chain managers to identify more efficiencies than ever before.
What is AI’s role in all of this?
Its ability to recognise patterns, interpret terabytes of data from every corner of the globe and deliver insights to human operators in an easily actionable form will prove invaluable as we navigate this turbulent landscape.
Even factors like warehouse layout and load optimisation can be used to add value to everyday business operations. The challenges facing the supply chain may never go away, but our ability to overcome them will only improve.
