Organisations operating within the supply chain have had to reinvent and reimagine their processes to meet changing global demands and complexities. For global suppliers and distributors, among others, the past two years have put immense pressure on companies to rethink their capabilities and how they engaged with customers. Most have had to pivot to more comprehensive online offerings so that they can fulfil customer requirements. Upstream players had to work with regional and local players while downstream retailers had to reposition themselves to remain attractive to their customers, and last mile underwent significant alterations as deliveries adapted to demand.

As a result of all these shifts and adaptations, there have been some interesting developments in the supply chain. The dark store – a warehouse dedicated to online orders – and the micro-fulfilment centre have become central to many company strategies and planning. In addition, companies have had to refine their tech investments to ensure that they can better leverage customer data, become more resilient, and remain agile in the face of ongoing disruption.

For IDC, these changes present both challenges and opportunities for the supply chain player. In the plus column lies the opportunity to disrupt and redefine existing supply chain incumbents through agility and intelligent technology investment. Supply chain companies should also be considering solutions such as robotic process automation (RPA), artificial intelligence (AI), analytics, and augmented reality (AR) in overcoming existing challenges and potentially carving out new opportunities.

It’s also worth pointing out that both 5G and Wi-Fi 6 – fresh-faced connectivity solutions that are still finding their feet – herald even more innovations for the supply chain. They are integral to the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Industrial IoT (IIoT), as well as to creating tracking and monitoring solutions that can potentially overcome legacy complexities across the sector.

The reality is that emergent technology is likely key to helping supply chain organisations fully realise relevant transformation that will allow them to dominate in complex markets such as South Africa. From micro-fulfilment to dark stores to intelligent digital dimensions introduced by AR and AI, players have access to a variety of technologies and solutions that will allow them to meet customer demands – even those demands that customers haven’t yet realised.

In the whitepaper developed by IDC, the company points out that it is these core technologies that will play a pivotal role in augmenting and enhancing existing supply chain systems. Technologies that have the potential to overcome challenges, deliver new benefits, uncover fresh opportunities and further tick the boxes of cost savings, customer retention, and waste reduction. BCX has a proven track record working with supply chain companies and partners, and in creating inventive technology solutions that meet strategic objectives and leverage emergent technology capabilities. As companies within this sector look for smart solutions that will give them the sustainable innovation they need, BCX has the tools organisations need to gain traction, build visibility and refine capabilities.

Read the full whitepaper here.