Supply chains in the 2020s have evolved by staying ahead of the game – by changing their practices, upgrading their technology, and making smooth and orderly transitions from one state to another. So what changes should you make in terms of supply chain technology throughout 2023? There are some developments to watch out for.
Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and built-in analytics.
It’s probably unbelievable to say that in the late stages of 2022, artificial intelligence (AI) took a significant leap forward, as Open AI released ChatGPT and blew the minds of most of the world with its capabilities.
Nor will it surprise anyone that once the bridge to a new generation of AI has been created, many contenders will do the same thing, but better and/or more adapted to particular types of function or industry, began to grow in. in the first days of 2023.
There are those among the many observers of this new AI who warn that it still needs to be tested enough in the wild, and then there are those who continue to show the uses in which it can be put, and who talk about the next iteration of the technology with the same number of neural connections as the human brain.
Beyond any shadow of a doubt, new versions of AI, machine learning, and integrated analytics will start making their mark on supply chains in 2023 — and when they do, like many significant leap forward, it may quickly become impossible Imagine a world where supply chains not intrinsically assisted by AI. The benefits of following this supply chain technology trend include the addition of real-time reporting, interactive data visualization and possibly even predictive and prescriptive analytics on your part of the supply chain.
What does that mean? More up-to-date data, a more effective view of where everyone is at any given time, and a clearer picture of what you need to get the job done. Pitting a company that has access to everything against one that doesn’t is like playing a round of golf, when only one of you has clubs.
Enhanced security.
While AI is a rapid development that should be in place in 2022 and early 2023, the focus on supply chain security is much larger than that. But due to the popularity of supply chain cyberattacks, there is a stronger focus on supply chain technology that can help secure the chain and strengthen its safety.
That means we are likely to see a more holistic approach to supply chain security emerge by 2023, which includes the physical elements of the chain, from machines to products to IoT (Internet of Things) sensors, etc., but also expands to more tricky things to secure, such as intellectual property, proprietary coding, and personal data.
By adopting such a multi-dimensional security approach, a supply chain can at least have a better chance of guaranteeing the safety of everything it produces and ships. Bad actors will always look for the weakest point in a supply chain, because if they go undetected by attacking such a point, they can reap all the rewards for the least. effort.
2023 may be the year where the biggest disruption to supply chain technology is taking security as seriously as bad actors do.
Digital twin.
Digital twins is the name of a technology that allows us to model a real-life situation on a computer so that we can run simulations, track assets, and run problem-solving situations, which no, for example, to mobilize the entire warehouse of staff. to see how things play out in real life.
In short, digital twins allow you to test things without the expense or hassle of running your scenario in the real world. That means that for supply chains that want to improve, but don’t really want to spend a lot of money to do it, digital twins will increasingly be the way to test innovations ahead of big digital transformations. .
As the prices of software and expertise drop, digital twins will spend 2022 closer to the mainstream. 2023 looks like the year they explode in supply chains everywhere.
Hyperautomation.
The world of supply chain technology is getting smarter and smarter with each passing year, with many technologies reaching the point of maturity where they can be individual game changers.
What we’re also likely to see as 2023 progresses — especially as it progresses into Q3 — is the integration of these technologies and techniques, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, smart machines, and robotic process automation (RPA), into in the sub-systems of hyperautomation, where a great deal more than before is already done without human intervention.
There is an element of sci-fi creepiness to overcome about that, but as the process improves and demonstrates not only its safety but its significant gains, hyperautomation may become the supply chain’s greatest asset.
Speed is not always the most important factor in a supply chain. Not always – but almost always. And hyperautomation will take some of the human-centered delays out of the supply chain, helping to make it more efficient, and perhaps more effective, too.
These are just a few of the hottest trends in supply chain technology in 2023. Like many others, they are influenced by Events – but keeping an eye on these four trends will likely pay you, and your supply chain, big. . dividends this year.
