Supply Chain Technology Trends That Will Grow This Year

By Len Batcha, President and CFO

Technical Transportation, Inc

While there is still so much unknown about supply chain shortages and delays in 2022, we are all hopeful this year will mark the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and a switch from merely surviving to thriving for individuals and companies around the world. We also believe this year will mark the continued advancement of several supply chain technology trends that will shape our industry for years to come.

The supply chain and logistics services require organizations to make sure they meet customer deadlines while being compliant with Quality and KPI (Key Performance Indicators) expectations, through automation technology advances that assist employees make operations processes run more efficiently, while allowing stakeholders better visibility into product movement and availability.

There are three supply chain technology areas where we expect to see significant improvement and growth this year.

Automation/Data Analytics

Automation and data analytics have made great strides in the past few years. Although there have been recent supply chain bottlenecks and delays across the globe, those setbacks have actually given companies more time to test automation technologies so they will be prepared for peak seasons as things open up fully this year (we hope!).

That said, we believe automation and data analytics will continue to be huge players in the supply chain technology conversation this year and in the years ahead.

By automating and digitizing supply chain processes, companies can achieve levels of efficiency they haven’t experienced before. Similarly, by using data analytics to gain better insight into the data that is inherent in each company, management can make better, more informed decisions. We also believe that machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) solutions will continue to emerge as our industry becomes more data-driven and automated.

Mobility

Whether you’re delivering to businesses or consumers, the final mile has become more important than ever, and supporting technologies will continue to grow this year. Namely, mobile- and browser-based tracking solutions will become even more mainstream and ubiquitous if they haven’t already.

Thanks to big-box ecommerce retailers such as Amazon, Walmart and others, both consumer and business buyers have come to demand a higher level of communication and visibility for each of their product deliveries. This trend will continue this year and beyond to become a standard part of doing business.

Secure access to final mile information via mobile apps or mobile-responsive website portals benefits customers and supply chain companies alike. The information should be easily accessible via order number or PO number and associated tracking numbers and should include relevant delivery details for all products in transit. In addition, relevant contact information should be made readily available should the customer have any questions or issues.

GPS/RFID Tracking

For high-end, mission-critical technology, equipment and other items, supply chain companies can go a step further and track products with RFID chips and GPS as the technology becomes more affordable. This is particularly helpful for items that are being shipped internationally by air, land or sea.

Given the recent supply chain struggles, particularly with issues at U.S. ports on the West Coast, we believe this technology will receive a boost in 2022 as more companies (and even consumers) will want more precise information on the status of their big-ticket items.

While it may not make fiscal sense to track every single item in every situation, supply chain companies will likely start using GPS and RFID tags to track pallets or even containers. Logistics managers and recipients alike will be able to map out exactly where their products are in the world and give more accurate arrival and delivery information.

If you want to learn more about how supply chain technology can benefit your operations, feel free to contact us today.