Technologies in Supply Chain Management

Supply Chain Management
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Technology in Supply Chain Management
Introduction
Technologies have revolutionized numerous sectors, industries, businesses, and processes. Supply chain management is one of the various sectors that is experiencing constructive change due to the advancement in technology. The supply chain is an important system that highly affects the day-to-day operations of an organization. It is responsible for the movement of goods and equipment used in the everyday operations of organizations. Supply chain management begins with the point of manufacture or creation of goods, proceeds to how the goods are stored and ends at the point of consumption. It has, therefore, become increasingly essential to innovate new ways to streamline the supply chain considering the highly competitive marketplaces that currently exist.
Modern technologies can create more visibility within the supply chain, thereby enabling an organization to have better control over their businesses, and keep up with competitors (Harnowo, 2015). New technologies can also help with the simplification of processes in supply chain management hence also increasing the efficiency of the businesses and reducing operational costs (Moharana, Murty, Senapati, & Khuntia, (2011). Implementing suitable technologies to the supply chain management system also has added advantages such as customer retention and satisfaction.
Technologies in Supply Chain Management
There are some ways by which technology can be integrated into the supply chain management system. There are also some technologies that can have a positive effect on processes in supply management. Such technologies include cloud-based technologies, analytics, artificial learning, automation, and those that focus on communication. To achieve a greater effect on supply chain management, it is vital to integrate more than one of these technologies instead of using them separately (Yücesan, 2007).
Automation in the supply chain can be implemented in different processes. One of these processes is data capturing or data entry. For instance, technologies such as bar coding, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and voice recognition can be used to capture and store information about goods or products in a computer system with a lot of ease (Bhandari, 2014). Besides the simplification of data entry, these technologies can also be used in tracking cartons, packages, containers, and even the vehicles carrying the goods. Technology such as the RFID allows the placement of chips into products thus making it easier for business owners and organizations to track their inventory. This increase in visibility offered by the use of RFID improves the efficiency of the supply chain by making it easier to detect any anomalies as they occur thereby allowing timely intervention to correct the mistakes.
Robotic process automation (RPA) is another way organizations can improve the supply chain, especially with regards to manufacturing and production companies. RPA can be used to replace manual processes, accomplish big tasks in shorter periods, and complete tasks that cannot be done by humans. This way, processes will be sped up and errors, especially human errors, will be eliminated. RPA also results in the cutting of costs and saving time considering the time-sensitiveness of today’s marketplace. Additionally, there is currently a lot of research, tests, and development of driverless cars. This kind of autonomous driving technology can be extended to other vessels such as ships in the future to enable a complete autonomous movement of goods and products from one place to another.
Communication with customers is one of the essential components of an efficient and effective supply chain management. Social media provides the perfect platform to reach and communicate with millions of customers and potential customers simultaneously. With over one billion users of social media, it is no surprise that organizations are turning towards social media to help streamline communications, gain visibility, and consequently streamline their supply chain as well. Social media allows open communication with customers. It enables interactions with customers whereby they can ask questions, report delays, and accidents, and give feedback about the quality of service they have received (Colin, Galindo, & Hernández, 2015). This way, the supply chain’s efficiency, the demand for products, and cost efficiencies can be improved. Listening to and communicating with customers concerning supply chain strategies will also ultimately lead to higher customer retention and satisfaction.
Cloud computing is another technology that is impacting many business aspects in the modern and the digital world. It can be felt in almost all facets of commerce. As a result, the ignorance of cloud base technologies in critical systems such as the supply chain may serve as a route to failure. Traditional supply chain practices have placed much reliance on physical and in-person processes. Cloud-based technologies, on the other hand, has provided infinite opportunities to supply chain management by removing the physical boundaries and shifting processes and resources to a l...