In this episode of Rethinking Supply Chain, Venzee CEO, John Abrams, chats with Diana Chen about the future of supply chain management. John begins by differentiating between the traditional way supply chain operated and the newer, digital platform on which some supply chains operate today. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on supply chain logistics, many world leaders still don’t embrace digital transformation.
For some companies today, their supply chain is still running on technology that is over 50 years old. Data is managed by people with clipboards, and with the technology available today, efficiency could be greatly improved if transportation and logistics took advantage of automation.
John talks about his experience speaking with logistics leadership who are behind the times and then contrasts that with futuristic ideas. He talks about how the Internet of Things (IoT) is going to revolutionize supply chain logistics overall, and how there are groups that are promoting this vision. Artificial intelligence, IoT, and complete automation should be the future of supply chain management.
John ends on a hopeful note, with an anecdote from his experience at the Chicago Tribune. He had early access to the Internet and spread the word within the company despite naysayers who weren’t ready to change their habits. He remains optimistic about the complete transformation of the supply chain within the next few decades.
What to do next: