#techtopic
I've been curious about how tech is helping support disrupted supply chains - and much is happening. As supply chain VC Brian Aoaeh points out, "supply chain innovations are really about two things – increasing throughput and increasing profit."
One way to do that is to optimize operations, so it makes sense that UPS just debuted autonomous warehouse robots to boost warehouse productivity. Separately, retailers who invested in inventory management technology will be the clear winners, when so much of in-store business is moving to counter pickup or shipping inventory from the store to the customer. Stores will continue to play a key role in getting products to customers, with real-time knowledge about distributed inventory becoming a key competitive advantage. It'll be fascinating to watch the UPS & CVS drone delivery trials in Florida this month to see if they usher in a new wave of last-mile delivery solutions.
With increased political issues between China & the US, we're also seeing Apple shift production to neighboring Vietnam to avoid further supply chain disruptions by increasing production capacity outside China. And no commentary on supply chain tech can be complete without mentioning the potential for blockchain to help provide transparency and traceability.
As more organizations look to deploy supply chain technology, the providers of that tech are growing their sales teams to meet demand. As huge transportation hubs, Newark, NJ and Atlanta, GA are both cities with supply chain tech ecosystems. This is still a great breakdown of the supply chain ecosystem via CB Insights, even if it's a few years old. And imagine - what will supply chains look like in Q3 as they prepare for Black Friday and the Christmas holiday season?
