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ToggleSupply chain management (SCM) constitutes all strategic coordination functions carried out concerning sourcing, production, and delivery activities. It forms the backbone around which a business literally runs. SCM is framed around efficient operations, cost reduction, and happy customers.
Logistics constitutes a great deal of SCM in that it refers to the moving and warehousing of products. This ensures timely arrival to the customer. The understanding of the above is important in that logistics is part and parcel of SCM.
Real-time data and smart logistics strengthen the supply chain. Those can help businesses when times are tough. Thus, this blog provides insight into these aspects of business continuity.
Real-time data enhances visibility and responsiveness, enabling faster, data-driven decisions in supply chain operations.
Smart logistics integrates technologies like IoT, AI, and cloud computing to streamline inventory, warehousing, and transportation.
Efficiently managed supply chains lead to cost-cutting measures and customers, so profits increase.
Logistics plays a very important role in SCM as it includes the timely procurement of goods from one place and delivery to another.
AITD empowers professionals through logistics and supply chain management training focused on real-time technologies.
Supply Chain Management (SCM) involves the strategic planning, controlling, and executing of the flow of products. According to the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), SCM integrates supply and demand management along with companies. It ensures that all work together to deliver value to the customer.
SCM is evolving beyond transactional activities. It is not only the transaction of products but also a plan and implementation of procedures to enhance the movement of materials, information, and funds. Effective supply chain optimisation helps companies reduce operational costs, enhance competitiveness, and better respond to market dynamics.
There are several steps in the process of supply chain operation, which are as follows:
Planning: Strategising a plan to meet customer requirements with proper utilisation of resources.
Sourcing: Finding the best suppliers of raw materials.
Manufacturing: Turning raw materials into finished goods.
Delivery: Logistics management for timely delivery of the products.
Return: Proper handling of the defective and excess products.
Did You Know?
In recent times, the Manufacturing Supplier Deliveries Index has seen a rise. It went up to 48.9 in April 2024 from 47 in December 2023. This increase shows a slowdown in how fast suppliers deliver goods to manufacturers.
Real-time data will give an instant, clear picture of inventory, demand, and supply chain performance and will help companies catch and deal with any disruption before it becomes a problem.
Real-time data analytics allows for continuous follow-up tracking of your company’s supply chain processes. Visibility into potential bottlenecks lets them get noticed and addressed before they become a major issue.
With real-time data, managers would trust less in the old data and perhaps forecasts regarding demand and supply chains. Practically speaking, they can be very responsive to a change in the demand or supply chain.
Using sensors, companies can monitor the condition of goods being moved through real-time information regarding temperature and humidity levels and receive advance warnings for potential problems before they become actual problems.
Smart logistics leverages cutting-edge technologies—such as IoT, machine learning, and automation—to transform supply chain management. By these, it enhances supply chain logistics in several ways:
Smart logistics incorporates automation to allow for accurate and high-speed processes without error. Order fulfillment, inventory management, and warehousing increase the efficiency for companies through smart logistics. This allows companies to work on the strategic plans within their supply chain metrics.
AI finds the best route options. This minimises the fuel consumption used during transportation. Delivery time is also enhanced. Therefore, it is essential to understand the difference between supply chain and logistics in order to optimise performance.
Improving data analysis in real-time helps organisations alter or align their operations with demand changes or disruption. Smart logistics makes adaptability easier without losing competitiveness.
Did You Know?
By 2028, 25% of all logistics key performance indicator (KPI) reporting will be powered by generative AI (GenAI), according to Gartner, Inc.
There are several technologies that businesses can avail themselves of to make their supply chains resilient:
Blockchain, indeed, makes supply chains more visible, traceable, and even reliable in terms of creating an immutable record of transactions in this situation where the employees can check the status of the goods involved in the transaction. Such seem to facilitate compliance or tackle issues.
For example, Nestlé uses blockchain to enable its customers to trace their goods back to their origin, where they’re authentic and sourced ethically. As consumers grow in confidence, this should make operations more efficient.
Advanced analytics uses big data to uncover patterns and trends in the supply chains. This helps businesses stay much more informed and, therefore, make better decisions. They can improve efficiency and shorten response time.
Cloud computing improves teams’ collaboration. It ensures that everyone gets the latest information, irrespective of where they are located. This is quite important during disruptions. Everyone is in a better position to make prompt decisions.
There are so many benefits related to real-time data solutions, but of course, there are also challenges:
Challenges in integration issues, difficulty in adding new technologies in the old systems, and time consumption of much time. It is difficult to get all the data to work together smoothly. This can make it hard to see the bigger picture.
With more data flowing through networks, cybersecurity becomes critical. It is very important that you lock away your data from hackers. Good security and following rules help keep data safe. This is very important in logistics. Data safety is a big deal there.
Organisations often face resistance to new technologies. Some may refuse new technologies or techniques. Employees have to be trained and backed up very well. Logistics and supply chain management courses would help the employees get accustomed to things.
Together, these technologies deliver a more agile, efficient, and customer-focused supply chain.
Data-Driven Decision-Making: Real-time data helps to advance the plan of logistics. This will ensure that products get timely delivery and the customer is happy.
Predictive Analytics: Real-time data helps see problems before they happen. That is, they help companies get ready for potential disruptions.
Efficient Collaboration: All the related data between the partners enhances better collaboration. This, in turn, results in smoother processes and stronger supply chains.
Real-time data and smart logistics create a supply chain that is stronger. Companies that majorly emphasise these two go great in bad times. Training programmes, such as Amity Institute of Training & Development (AITD), ensure that these supply chains become even stronger.
Research Insight:
Lin highlighted Amazon’s use of big data analytics to reduce supply chain costs by :
15% cost reduction from big data integration (Amazon case)
20–30% inventory optimisation (Amazon/service industry)
Big Data Analytics in Supply Chain Optimisation and Risk Management: A Case Study of Amazon
AITD delivers training programs on logistics and supply chain management through specialised courses. These logistics and supply chain management courses prepare the professionals and help them to make their operations better. AITD is focused on using real-time data and smart logistics in order to enhance the resilience of the supply chains.
Logistics and Supply Chain Management Courses: These courses focus on the basic issues of SCM and using real-time data.
Technology-Driven Courses: AITD trains different risk management methods to enhance its operative efficiency.
Business Continuity Planning: AITD is foundational for resilience strategies under conditions of the unpredictable marketplace.
AITD trains your teams to sustainably and innovatively manage the supply chain.
AITD provides organisations with skills in the implementation of green logistics and sustainable SCM, which guarantees long-term sustainability of the business. AITD empowers your workforce and transforms your operations so that sustainability becomes more than a checkbox — it becomes a competitive advantage.
