By 2030, the supply chain market labor market is estimated to experience a 20 percent shortage of trained employees. The skill gap is at the intersection of new process evolution based on emerging analytics, the evolution of blockchain, and the use of streaming data for the building of outside-in processes. While most companies have established programs for new hires and high-performance employees, the training of supply chain employees on next-generation processes is a gap. -Lora Cecere, Founder, Supply Chain Insights
With the emergence of new digital technologies such as Mobility, Big Data, Cloud, Business Intelligence/AI, the IoT, etc., new and more abundant sources of data are available to improve forecasting and demand management. Companies that embrace digital and transform their demand management processes will gain significant competitive advantage. While the traditional statistical forecast may serve a baseline, demand analyses must extend across functions (silos) and include many different sources of causal data. -Rich Sherman, Senior Fellow, Supply Chain Centre of Excellence, Tata Consultancy Services
Forwarders play an important role in obtaining space on airplanes or ocean vessels at the best rate possible for shippers. Long known as a relationship business, much of the forwarders' business traditionally was done by phone, fax machine or in person. Real-time tracking and management of shipments was non-existent, transparent invoices did not exist and neither did electronic document submission. Until now – today thanks to technology and start-ups, the freight forwarding market is changing. -Cathy Morrow Roberson, Founder/Head Analyst, Logistics Trends & Insights LLC
The fast food chain KFC has been forced to temporarily close most of its U.K. outlets after problems with a new delivery contract led to a chicken shortage.
The growth of e-commerce is transforming the last mile at a rapid rate. Start-ups such as Deliv, Roadie and Instacart, along with Amazon’s own logistics network build-out, have caused a shakeup in the traditional hub-and-spoke system that FedEx and UPS spent years building. As a result, the Big Two have become reactive by raising rates and increasing surcharges to maintain market position while investing in infrastructure to meet changing needs. -Paul Steiner, Vice President of Strategic Analysis, Spend Management Experts
The world’s biggest container shipping line is trying to stop customers like Amazon.com Inc. and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. from becoming competitors in just a few years’ time.
Digital disruptions continue to play an important role in the evolution of retail. The dot-com era of the 1990s begets the dot-com bubble that burst to create the dot-com collapse. By 2003 the few dot-com survivors began playing an important role in retail. By 2010 e-commerce had reached a level of significance creating the term multichannel retail, describing retailers who participate in stores and online. The field has evolved, and entered the era of New Retail. -Jim Tompkins, CEO, Tompkins International and MonarchFx
There's no question pharmaceutical supply chains are complicated. Add industry and government regulations — topped with geographical complexities — and it's become more challenging than ever for multinational companies to get beyond node-to-node planning.
Travel buyers should start talking to their travel management companies (TMCs) now about how changes to flight booking technologies could impact them, Red Bull’s head of procurement has said.
