Robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) are transforming industry as we know it. Robots already have a long-standing history with supply chain technology, with one of the earliest industrial robots inspiring modern day Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs.) No longer a plot point in science fiction dramas, these new technologies have presented real opportunities for improvements across supply chains. While the cost of implementing robotics into the supply chain may be an easy decision for industry giants like Amazon, for smaller businesses, implementing robotics into their supply chain is still in the distant future. 

I live near Nashville, Tennessee, which is quickly becoming one of the most desired destinations in the southeast to visit, live, and work in. Nashville is always gaining headway as a top location choice for corporate headquarters and large regional office locations for many companies. In the last several years, Nissan North America, Mitsubishi, Dell, Amazon, Pilot Corp and many others made the move to Nashville. Much of the influx came after Nashville became home to the Tennessee Titans and the Nashville Predators. Nashville is even getting a Major League Soccer team in 2020!

Successful businesses are run on hard work, dedication, and exemplary teamwork. A recent Harvard Business Review article found that 40% of team project success depends on your ability to do something very simple for your team - motivate them. Therefore, if employees are not succeeding in their tasks and projects, the key is finding ways to motivate them.

However, the same article states that prior to offering solutions, “carefully assessing the nature of the motivational failure — before taking action — is crucial.” What if one of your employees feels unqualified for a specific task and your only advice is the proverbial “work harder?” Not even close to motivating, right? In fact, without taking the time to learn which factors are working against their motivation, you are more likely to cause your employees to feel even less motivated to perform due to fear of failure.

Are You Providing the Right Information to Your Customer Service Representatives?

What was your number one supply chain initiative for 2019? Have you accomplished it already this year? Do you now have a narrow time frame with insufficient budget dollars set aside to make it happen in 2019? Or, are you already thinking about what you must budget for to make sure you can pull it off for 2020? According to many of today’s supply chain executives, that must-have is visibility.

Let’s begin with a simple multiple-choice question.

A recent article published by the Jigsaw Group, an organization that focuses on business improvement and supply chain technologies, lists the Top 10 Shocking Supply Chain Statistics. If your role is in supply chain management, you may not find these stats shocking, but you may be surprised at how simple the solutions are.  

Common topics at supply chain trade shows and presentations include Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Advanced Analytics, Blockchain, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), and on-and-on.  However, most business supply chain operations do not reflect these technological advances. Bulletin boards, white boards, and thumb-tacked charts and graphs still act as the key reporting and tracking tool.

Recently I revisited the subject of digital supply chains because I ran across one of my favorite quotes about all the big data and information at our disposal today.