The Digital Revolution Is Here – Zero Down Supply Chain Solutions

As the supply chain industry begins to embrace new technologies, there are still many organizations not yet leveraging the solutions available to them. To stay competitive, technology will become essential.

Q: How do you think the digital revolution will affect the supply chain industry?

A: The supply chain industry is about to receive a wakeup call. No other trillion-dollar industry in the world is as technologically outdated. In 2019 though, all that will change. A digital transformation is quickly and quietly sweeping the industry, and the early adopters will be poised to compete for decades to come.


Q: Do companies need visibility and access to their transportation data?

A: Yes! With new technologies, data can be captured digitally, centralized, and then efficiently turned into action items. We’re not talking about filing cabinets here. For example, can you view all modes from anywhere with an internet connection? If the answer is ‘No,’ or worse, ‘I don’t know,’ this should be your call to arms.

There are a few technology platforms in the marketplace with flexible architecture that can work with disparate carrier systems and even upgrade outdated carrier platforms into modern digital data oases.

Q: Are Excel spreadsheets still effective?

A: Excel is a great tool, but the tool chest has grown extensively in recent years. Now automation is king, through open source technologies, API connections and multi-modal platforms. This can ease the burden of everything from order entry to exception reports, from freight quotes to GL coding. Your time is valuable, but without the right technology tools, you likely aren’t making the most of it.

Q: How does technology help the front end?

A: Modern automation technologies aren’t just for post hoc analyses anymore. You should be able to quickly and easily identify inefficiencies in your order, transportation, or fixed operating costs. Warehouse metrics displaying full-time and temporary labor, supplies, rent, and more can be automated in easy-to-use dashboards, allowing shippers to combine the different metrics to clearly see exactly where profits are leaking out of their supply chain. Additionally, shippers can utilize technology to model rate results from multiple carriers, which levels the playing field during carrier negotiations. Multiple companies are bringing this new technology to bear, procuring massive savings for their clients.

Finding the right technology partner in today’s marketplace is easy, and oftentimes it can be done with no upfront cost. The digital revolution is happening, and there’s no going back. In 2019, the gap between companies utilizing these new tools and those that are not will grow exponentially. The choice is yours as to which side of the revolution you’re on. Choose wisely.

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