The supply chain is the heart of a company’s operations. To make the best decisions, managers need access to real-time data about their supply chain, but the limitations of legacy technologies can thwart the goal of end-to-end transparency. However, those days may soon be behind us. New digital technologies that have the potential to take over supply chain management entirely are disrupting traditional ways of working. Within 5-10 years, the supply chain function may be obsolete, replaced by a smoothly running, self-regulating utility that optimally manages end-to-end work flows and requires very little human intervention.
The Death of Supply Chain Management
As more and more supply chain functions become automated, traditional supply chain management is rapidly growing obsolete. To stay ahead of the curve, companies must invest in digital tools that provide visibility into real-time supply chain data, automating end-to-end workflows and dramatically reducing the need for human intervention. In the short term, this means shifting the focus of human employees from completing rote tasks to analyzing data and developing more effective information flows. In the long term, businesses will need to develop a technology-driven supply chain organization that’s set up to continuously improve and integrate new technologies. Whether you like it or not, these changes are coming — and the companies who prepare today will be set up for success tomorrow.