The future of supply chain efficiency is exciting and full of new opportunities and challenges. From emerging technologies to today’s push for sustainability, new supply chain trends are set to transform entire businesses, which is why Heartland gathered leading innovators at OpTech 2023. While many topics were discussed, we want to highlight the top insights to best empower businesses with a clear picture of how to prepare businesses for change. After learning from several keynote speakers and thought leaders, businesses were encouraged to consider the following trends as they modernize operations:
Studies estimate that hundreds of cyberattacks happen every day worldwide, costing millions of dollars yearly. While large businesses may seem like a promising target, many hackers also prey on small and growing businesses since these most often lack the necessary bandwidth to protect and remedy an attack. To make matters worse, threat actors have become increasingly industrious, creating new breach opportunities through careful phishing, social engineering, and credential spamming. Moreover, an estimated five in ten companies do not have adequate network infrastructure to combat cyberattacks.
A data breach can lead to hefty consequences such as a damaged reputation, lost revenue, and stalled lead times. Therefore, specialists expect cybersecurity plans to be in high demand as digitized transactions become a solid part of everyday consumer and enterprise life. Although we addressed many challenges to be expected in the realm of cybersecurity, businesses should prioritize security strategies such as:
As expected, technology will continue to play a vital role in the modern supply chain. Thanks to future-forward systems such as RFID, voice-guided solutions, and enterprise robotics, many warehouses are now witnessing a reduction in errors, stalled operations, and blind spots. However, while emerging technologies offer unprecedented benefits, implementation costs and obstacles may dissuade businesses from pursuing them.
To address the complications and uncertainties of today’s emerging technologies, we spoke with thought leaders from both Honeywell and Zebra – two prominent leaders in enterprise automation. Despite unique implementation hurdles and challenges, the benefits of these emerging technologies seem to outweigh the complications, especially when integrated alongside an experienced partner. Equipped with adaptable technologies and dedicated support, businesses can leverage technologies to:
Today’s consumers across every industry are growing concerned with sustainable practices inasmuch that many are willing to pay more for eco-friendly services and products. Moreover, sustainable practices can help reduce operating costs, saving both the planet and budgets. With supply chains greatly contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, sustainable practices are vital for everyone.
To empower the supply chain with proactive, sustainable methods, industry leaders often recommend solutions incorporating...
Not only do sustainable practices help preserve the environment, but they can also help lower costs due to energy-efficient technologies. As manufacturers and distributors strive to reduce their carbon footprint, many can lower e-waste production by consolidating mainstream tasks such as data capture, two-way communication, and inventory management in a single device. By prioritizing versatility within handheld devices, businesses can expect to lower operational costs while also adhering to sustainable goals for fewer emissions and electronic waste.
These are just a few of the factors discussed at OpTech 2023. As new trends and challenges continue reshaping the supply chain, it is only natural that new solutions and optimizations will rise to empower supply chains.
Whether these trends seem daunting or exciting, experts still recommend a common first step: proactive strategizing. Without a clear view of current bottlenecks and vulnerabilities in the workflow, you risk stalling productivity as systems need constant reconfigurations. To learn more about how you can proactively prepare and integrate future-forward solutions, contact our team for a systematic evaluation of your operations.