Transforming Supply Chains into Supply Streams (Part 1)

Supply chains around the globe are tremendously challenged by volatile demand patterns, cutthroat competition and increasing consumer expectations for fast delivery speeds. While businesses and industries have steadily developed various levers to improve the performance of supply chains, those levers are not effective enough to meet customer demand, particularly in the digital age.

However, with the advent of the “Internet of Things” (IoT) there is tremendous potential to change the very structure of the supply chain, from a linear, step-by-step process, into a seamless, data insight-driven stream.

In part one of this series, I’ll discuss the conventional levers that have been implemented to improve supply chains in recent years, and the gaps these levers still cannot fill. I will explain, too, how IoT can create more cohesion.

In part two, I’ll explore the IoTization of conventional levers and how it can enrich the customer experience of employees, customers and other stakeholders in the supply chain.

Traditional Levers: Grinding Ahead

In recent years, companies have explored a gamut of levers in their quest to optimize supply chains. Most of these levers are structured around one of three categories:

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