Keeping up on the latest supply chain trends can be invaluable for your career and your company success. I’ve never believed in “jumping on the latest bandwagon”, just to be in the cool crowd and to have the opportunity to work with the trendy topics. However, being aware of the latest trends can be invaluable in refining your strategy and developing the optimal plans to achieve your goals.
Since laws change frequently that affect supply chain, if you are not up to speed, you can follow undesirable paths. Since supply chain disruptions seem to occur more frequently than we’d like, we must keep up on the latest issues – and potential ones to boot. For example, the L.A. ports strike affected many manufacturers and distributors. The sooner you are aware of a potential issue, the more likely you are to find a way to lessen the pain or find a creative solution to avoid the potential problem.
Since risk is undoubtedly prevalent in today’s society, we must be vigilant regarding potential risks. For example, the Target and Home Depot security risks seem to be becoming commonplace. Perhaps that’s why CSI Cyber has gained in popularity.
Since technologies and systems are constantly upgraded and improved (obsoleting the “latest and greatest” at shorter and shorter intervals), if you are not up to speed, you will be left in the dust. For example, I just upgraded my phone solely because it was “too slow” because the software upgrades no longer worked with the hardware effectively. Manufacturing equipment is also constantly upgraded. Do you need the improvements? You must at least understand the options – your competitors will! How about the latest best practices related to your business? Certainly, as the Amazon effect has taken place, you should be aware of multi-channel distribution strategies for example.
I was recently interviewed by the Manufacturers Corner on supply chain trends to leverage for success. I’m always interested in your feedback and ideas. Please email me with your comments.