The Biggest Global Trends In Supply Chain Management

The advent of digitisation across the globe has given rise to various trends and technologies, which when properly harnessed can bring about numerous advantages for businesses. Learn about key trends shaping the future of supply chain management (SCM), as well as how supply chain management courses help you thrive in your career.

AI & Automation

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation play essential roles in SCM and other industries, ranging from manufacturing to finance and healthcare. AI incorporates elements such as machine learning to identify patterns and provide useful insights, ranging from forecasting customers’ demands in the future to helping companies reduce inefficiencies in their supply chains. AI also facilitates accurate inventory management by reducing human error, along with worker and material safety through analysing existing data and flagging potential risks.

Automation assists in streamlining repetitive tasks, such as using drones and driverless vehicles to aid delivery or robots to handle sorting of parcels. This empowers human workers to spend less time on menial tasks and focus on enhancing overall customer experience. Amity Global Institute’s supply chain management courses provide students with a greater understanding of AI and automation, incorporating them into feasible solutions as they step into a career in SCM.

Sustainability

With climate change at the forefront of consumers’ minds, businesses have to adopt sustainable measures and processes as part of their corporate social responsibility. This is particularly so for companies that rely on extensive supply chains, which can generate excessive waste and environmental damage due to inefficiency or elements such as fossil fuels and single-use plastics in packaging.

Sustainability in SCM can range from switching to eco-friendly fuels and technologies for lowered vehicle emissions, biodegradable packing materials and improved packaging design, as well as optimising supply chain networks. However, sustainability takes time and requires deliberate decision on stakeholders’ part, as well as increased costs. Supply chain management courses educate students on how best to achieve sustainability goals while still achieving business outcomes in a feasible manner. 

IoT

IoT, or the Internet of Things, refers to a network of objects that are connected to the Internet via sensors and software. IoT plays key roles in logistics and supply chains, being involved in real-time monitoring of shipments as well as facilitating ease of inventory management and predictive maintenance of vehicles. In turn, IoT provides greater control and insight over the entire supply chain, with advantages such as faster delivery time, increased accuracy of shipments, as well as flexibility to adapt in response to unexpected challenges.

IoT can be incorporated throughout the entire supply chain, making it one of the most powerful tools especially when used in conjunction with other technologies such as digitisation and automation. Supply chain management courses provide students with a strong understanding of IoT and its applications, as well as the challenges in implementing them.

Digitisation

Digitisation refers to the process of converting traditional analog processes into digital ones with help from software, such as forms, images, and documents. Digitisation increases ease of automation, reduces administrative load and greatly saves on time while allowing staff to value-add to the company in human-centric ways. It also facilitates faster gathering and analysis of data for more impactful strategic decisions, and promotes end-to-end transparency for all users throughout the supply chain via ease of access to data for reduced miscommunication and delays. 

Amity Global Institute’s Masters in Supply Chain Management is designed to provide students in Singapore with a strong foundation in SCM and Global Logistics. As part of the curriculum, you will delve into elements such as AI, blockchain, big data, and automation; as well as explore issues such as risk mitigation, sustainability, and ethics to help you best understand international business trends that affect supply chains and business. You will also be presented with complex business scenarios while honing your strategic view of SCM and the industry, equipping you with the perspectives to thrive in this dynamic industry.Visit our website to learn more about our full range of supply chain management courses.