Which Logistics and Supply Chain Management Trends are Making it Big in 2022?
Remember how we used to coordinate with the group members in school whenever a group project was assigned to us? This coordination was crucial to make sure everyone was contributing to the project, and it gets completed on time.
From schools or colleges to big-scale businesses, this coordination holds an important place to run everything smoothly. In businesses, logistics and supply chain management takes care of the same.
Supply chain logistics takes care of the goods and services across the supply chain. The practice begins from the raw materials, goes to manufacturing and distribution, and ends with delivering the finished goods to the customers.
The last two years have witnessed many supply chain management challenges and disruptions, especially due to Covid-19 conditions. As 2022 unfolds, many of the challenges remain, but the solutions are also brought up simultaneously.
These solutions are a result of many supply chain management trends that have powered up in 2022. In this blog, we have compiled a list of top supply chain management trends to keep an open eye on this year. So, shall we begin with these trends?
Trends in logistics and supply chain management you can’t miss.
Have a look at these top logistics and supply chain management trends and pick your favorites among them. Have a look at them below.
Digitizing the supply chain
The number of companies digitizing their supply chain is increasing every minute. Giving a digital presence to the supply chain will infuse flexibility to adapt inventory management plans and respond to market changes. It also lessens supply chain disruptions.
Also, if a business aspires to achieve long-term stability, digitalization of the supply chain will give them a head-start on the competition. Lastly, as companies digitize their supply chain, cloud-based technology will provide adaptability to scale up the whole process quickly.
Omnichannel shipping
This trend in supply chain management is gaining momentum recently. Omnichannel shipping offers an easy way to shop whether it is a digital purchase or in-store. Successful logistics companies are exploring this trend to offer more creative approaches to shipping. In addition, this also helps to navigate growing omnichannel complexities in the supply chain.
Because of the omnichannel shipping trend, the last-mile evolution of shipping methods has resulted in the increasing complexity of the supply chain. Also know that one-way logistics is no longer enough to compete, and the need for omnichannel shipping is higher than ever.
Supplier diversification
Companies often put all their faith in one supplier, but what if that one supplier couldn’t keep up with providing the stock? Seems like a horrifying situation, isn’t it? To avoid such unwanted situations, diversifying the supplier network is the way to go.
While it’s essential that companies maintain the relationship with their main suppliers, shaking hands with other suppliers, logistics providers, and supply chain partners is always a good idea. It would only strengthen the supply chain and have more options in case of any future supply shortage.
Adding eCommerce as a sales channel
Online shopping has reached every nook and corner of the world today. Therefore, the number of companies setting up their eCommerce stores is unbelievable. Many businesses have already shifted to eCommerce in the lockdown. For those who haven’t already, it’s high time to do so.
To maintain a flexible and efficient supply chain, supply chain teams are investing in tools to boost their ability to increase stock availability and meet customers’ ever-growing demands. Thus, embracing eCommerce will help in balancing the stock levels, avoiding stock outs, and maximizing profits.
Robotics and automation in the warehouse
According to Zebra, by 2026, the global warehouse automation market will surpass $30 million. There are many possible reasons behind the increasing use of robotics and automation in warehouses. The labor shortage is also one of the reasons. Secondly, using technologies like robotics and automation can save huge costs. Moreover, it can also improve the whole functioning of the warehouse and stock management.
Warehouses these days are making the best use of robotics in automation in picking, packing, and sorting orders. Other warehouse tasks simplified by automation also include loading, unloading, and stacking.
Embedded integration technology
Logistics and supply chain companies are using embedded technology to connect with their customers in a more personalized manner. The need for a data movement platform to share data back and forth between the customers has given rise to this technology trend.
Embedded integration provides the companies in the logistics space value-added services related to the logistics and supply chain data. It also enables the encapsulation of digital transformation as more traditional logistics are evolving to offer data-centric logistics services.
It’s time to adopt these logistics and supply chain management trends.
The above list of trends in logistics and supply chain management is our attempt to familiarize you with the dominating trends in 2022. If you want to streamline your logistics and supply chain, following these trends will generate quality results for you.
By using the top trends and ensuring your supply chain processes are set up efficiently, you can bid adieu to any unforeseen challenges later. Although challenges in supply chain and logistics are many, companies who identify these challenges sooner and invest in relevant trends will have the upper hand in facing new challenges head-on.
So, it’s time to make the best out of the discussed trends and run your business without any hurdles in the long run.