A prescient article published before Covid 19 on where the supply chain needs to be, and if it were how more resilient the supply chain would be when exogenous shocks like a pandemic occur. The reality is that each aspect of the supply chain has become more and more complex with greater and greater demands being placed upon it. This was true before Covid19 - and now things just became exponentially more difficult.
The modern day warehouse alone has become so complex that the burden of this complexity can not be managed cost effectively without automation and digitization. The article below covers supply chain methodologies that might seem like sci-fi, but actually many already exist today. For instance, making sure your retail offering has an Ecommerce component and a warehouse management system to fulfill it, is just one of those extra pieces that perhaps seemed superfluous before Covid 19 but is now essential. Many firms that have added that simple omnichannel element are seeing their customer base grow while others are missing out to the competition because they have not. Even when things improve, consumers are more likely to head towards and stay with those retailers and suppliers that provide online retail and delivery convenience. To ensure your firm’s resilience in today’s volatile supply chain and retail environment, it is not too late to change. See the article for more insights on how to make that happen.
https://www.allthingssupplychain.com/supply-chain-technology-trends-for-2020/