Supply chain management is the activity undertaken to plan, control, and achieve the flow of products from raw materials, work-in-progress, to finished goods.
Supply chain management is a very costly and complex activity that involves suppliers as well as manufacturers. It also helps manufactures by being more efficient, lowers costs, and raises profits. Simply put, the supply chain is the heart of a manufacturer’s operation.
However, over the past two decades, a surge of new digital technologies has entered the arena that will make human intervention nearly obsolete. Manufacturing facilities will soon be using more advanced integrated software that will self-regulate the SCM process which will allow for a more smooth and efficient procedure.
With these new technologies in place, manufactures will be able to capture, analyze, and interpret data in real-time. Companies are already using robotics and artificial intelligence to automate more mundane processes. These technologies can use predictive analytics to help forecast and manage volatility as well as using sophisticated sensors to better estimate when machines will breakdown.
With the use of drones and self-driving vehicles not far off into the future, today’s manufacturers are eager to explore new technological opportunities to exploit. Analysts can now use robotic operators, cameras, and lasers to monitor workflow 24/7 using high definition screens and 3D graphics.
Human Implications
One thing is for certain, supply chain managers will need new skills for the upcoming technological trend. They are going to have to change roles from managing people to being trained in the new skill of operations and technology.
Clearly, the trend is certain, technology is replacing humans in supply chain management. It’s easy to imagine a future where robots, sensors, artificial intelligence, and real-time data will take over the manufacturing world. With the inevitable on the horizon, companies and managers that update their skill sets for the future are the ones that will win in the end.