Guest Author: Tom Stretar, VP, Technology at enVista
With the start of a new year, Tom’s Takes reached out to two veteran supply chain executives, Amit Levy, Executive Vice President of Sales and Strategy at Made4net and Chris O’Stean, Senior Vice President of Sales at Softeon. We asked each to provide their perspective on what supply chain issues they feel will continue to accelerate the velocity of the supply chain without sacrificing customer satisfaction.
Amit Levy – “We are witnessing several transformative trends, particularly in the realm of AI, which is taking on various innovative forms. One example is computer vision AI, a cutting-edge technology we recently introduced to our customers to enhance operational efficiency. By processing video footage from the warehouse and comparing operational events to their digital twins in the WMS, we can push real-time alerts. This approach eliminates errors, saves time and costs and ultimately boosts customer satisfaction.
On the fulfillment side, meeting the demand for faster, more efficient delivery has become a standard expectation in modern supply chains. We’re empowering retailers to achieve this by enabling and automating micro-fulfillment centers in urban areas, bringing products closer to customers. This approach significantly reduces both delivery times and costs, ensuring a seamless and efficient customer experience.”
Chris O’Stean – “Investment in automation – while many companies have already made modest investments in automation, this is an area that will continue to accelerate. Automated processes, such as robotic picking, can significantly speed up operations. There are many vendors in this space who specialize in a variety of types of automation throughout the warehouse. Having a strong WMS/WES to orchestrate and optimize across this various vendors/automation is paramount.
Secondly, leverage real-time data – data is the new oil. How to access it, refine it and maximize its value is key. Your supply chain systems MUST make it easy to extract data in a variety of formats.”
Tom’s Take – “Thank you to our two guest contributors for their insight on delivering supply chain execution excellence. Automation, AI and the ability to leverage data are three opportunities that manufacturers, distributors, retailers and third-party logistics providers, should be implementing as part of their strategic initiatives to accelerate their ability to execute and drive customer satisfaction in today’s hyper-competitive markets.”