The supply chain has been a hot topic over the last year. Despite bottlenecks and setbacks being on rampant display to the public, the industry has made significant headwinds as society adjusts to a “new normal” beyond the pandemic. One technology currently transforming the industry is automation.
Like many other industries that utilize and benefit from the Internet of Things (IoT), supply chain automation uses advanced digital technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and others to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of supply chain networks. Here are the top three benefits of supply chain automation:
1. Streamline Processes
There are a lot of moving parts in the supply chain network, each of which is vital to meeting deadlines and quotas. However, many processes in supply chain management are incredibly time-consuming and repetitive, such as: recording inventory, moving inventory, processing orders, etc. Not to mention, one mistake can have significant implications on end results.
Supply chain automation frees employees from these manual tasks and optimizes them in a way a person could never achieve. Automation eliminates human error, reduces product shortages, improves inventory management, and decreases operational costs, all of which have a positive impact on your bottom line.
2. Increase Operational Transparency
A trademark for many modern delivery services is customers can see exactly where and when their products are located as they make their journey from the warehouse to their front door. This ultimately adds to the customer experience and ensures delivery companies are meeting their deadlines.
For decades, transparency and traceability have been an obstacle for many supply chain providers due to connectivity issues and intricacies in the supply chain network. But with modern automation platforms, employees have access to real-time information and status updates, giving them more visibility over their operations than ever before.
Increased transparency allows employees to make better decisions on the fly. It can also help with the decision-making of other third-party logistics providers in your supply chain network. And can even benefit end-users as they can track their products as they progress through the supply chain.
3. Minimize Employee Turnover
Burnout is a real issue for many employees working in the supply chain. The supply chain industry has been under constant pressure trying to navigate the pandemic and our return to normalcy. High employee turnover has further exacerbated the labor shortage plaguing the industry.
Supply chain automation may hold the key to retaining top-level talent. Because automation can handle the more repetitive and mundane tasks, this frees up time and energy for employees to focus on more high-level initiatives, such as maintaining vendor relationships, expanding business operations, procuring new materials, and more.
When employees can focus more of their time and effort on work they view as important, they are far more likely to find fulfillment in their career and enjoyment working for your company.
How to Ensure Your Supply Chain Process Runs Smoothly
With all the intricacies in a supply chain network, you need a partner that can ensure your operations always run smoothly, especially as you leverage automation in your daily business processes. As your single-source provider of managed network services and physical security, Vector Security Networks offers: network and cloud-based video, dedicated security networks, 4G/5G cellular backup, network as a service, managed Wi-Fi, and cybersecurity solutions to help protect products, people, and data and ensures your facilities never experience downtime.
If you would like to learn more about what Vector Security Networks is doing for supply chain providers, feel free to contact us today.
