10 Tips for Maximizing the Value of Technology in Your Supply Chain
Since 2020, supply chains have been in a period of transformation. Companies first sought to maintain continuity in the face of massive disruption and then pivoted to improve resiliency and manage growth in emerging channels, all while contending with persistent labor shortages and shifting customer expectations.
The DHL Supply Chain Insight 2030 report indicates the pace of change and disruption may actually be accelerating. This increased pace of change and unpredictability in North American supply chains is threatening to increase the complexity of these networks and weaken their resiliency. For many supply chain leaders, the answer to overcoming these challenges seems to be the deployment of more technology.
Here are 10 tips for maximizing the value of your technology. DHL Supply Chain can assist with all these.
1. Adopt a mindset that recognizes that technology is a tool and expertise is needed to integrate it meaningfully into your supply chain to ensure it provides value and helps achieve operational objectives.
2. Work with a trusted partner, such as DHL Supply Chain, that invests significantly in new technologies across its network to help alleviate your capital funding challenge.
3. Select credible technology vendors that understand the supply chain environment, can support the size and needs of your deployment, and will have the longevity and capacity to offer support after the deployment is up and running.
4. Identify what you want to accomplish with the technology, focusing on operational challenges you are trying to overcome, objectives you want to achieve and the team and infrastructure you need to proceed.
5. Do your research and assess your options to adequately determine the right strategic approach to take and the right technology to deploy.
6. Consider the workforce and determine where employees might be supported or relieved of non-value tasks so they can focus on more strategic and value-adding tasks that enhance operational performance.
7. Know your operations and how your equipment and people are being used so you can identify tasks that are ideal candidates for new technology, as well as areas where any displaced employees may be deployed.
8. Be prepared to make changes to established processes and workflows, either by modifying existing ones or adding new ones, to ensure technology is seamlessly integrated to add value.
9. Determine metrics and data you will use to measure installation success and technology performance, while also having a plan to share that information internally and adjust as needed.
10. Have a plan that includes implementation, as well as a path to expand beyond the initial implementation, either in another operation or with a different use case.
DHL – Maximize Your Supply Chain
Read the DHL Supply Chain Insight 2030 report for more details on the expected disruptive forces and to understand how DHL Supply Chain can provide the needed expertise and resources to keep pace with change.