The year 2020 was marked by the need for everyone to adapt. Given the limitations imposed by the pandemic, it was necessary to abandon some old habits and create different ways of working, learning, meeting, exercising and so many other activities present in our daily lives.

In addition to adaptation, the new context has also accelerated Industry 4.0, with the implementation of several technologies to improve productivity and well-being for everyone. The expansion of telemedicine, e-commerce, online education and remote work are just a few examples.

The processes of change and disruption with the advancement of the digital environment have also marked the activities linked to the Supply Chain and have given rise to several trends, not so new, but which will be indispensable from now on.

Below, check out the main trends for the Supply Chain in 2021:

1. Sustainability

Sustainability is a path of no return. To remain competitive and well-regarded in the market, companies will increasingly have to focus on finding solutions that expand their sustainable performance in the social, environmental and economic pillars.

This means that sustainability must be intrinsic to all company operations, especially in the supply chain, with the choice of partners that are responsible and environmentally correct.

The use of inputs that do not harm the environment and the optimization of less polluting routes and modes are some of the dozens or even hundreds of practices that should be guided by the Supply Chain, in order to reduce the impacts of activities on a local and global scale.

The Global Risks report (“Global Risks Report 2021“, in English), produced annually by the World Economic Forum, pointed to climate change, environmental disasters and the loss of biodiversity as the main problems in the next 10 years. We need to act now.

2. Cloud computing

Cloud computing has become the center of attention for Supply Chain management. This is because business models such as Software as a Service (SaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS), present in Electronic Market solutions, eliminate the need to install local programs and equipment.

For the supply chain, cloud computing allows remote access to information — from anywhere in the world, at any time — which offers greater agility, automation and integration. In addition, centralizing all data and information contributes to having a holistic view of processes, for transparent management and information security.

3. Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI)

“The beginning of everything is number,” as the philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras said. Volume, variety and speed, the “3 Vs” of Big Data are relevant factors for the decision-making process in the supply chain.

Today, massive amounts of data can be used to generate business intelligence, from understanding current performance to predicting trends and risks.

The data and information acquired by Big Data have allowed companies to use artificial intelligence (AI) to simplify and automate Supply Chain processes.

To do this, relevant information is collected for machine learning and can be used, for example, to manage inventory and reduce costs. According to Gartner, in just four years (2016-2019), the growth in the use of AI in companies was 270%.

4 Robotics

The growth in the use of data intelligence has contributed considerably to robotics and automation in the operation of distribution centers. Robots have taken on more collaborative roles — and are called cobots. They work alongside humans, but the tendency is for them to take on only more repetitive tasks, such as counting and transporting products.

According to the report “Industrial Robots Market: Global Industry Outlook, Comprehensive Analysis and Forecast, 2018-2025“, from the consultancy Zion Market Research, which promotes market research, industrial robots will generate around US$ 62 billion in revenue by 2024.

Sustainability, cloud computing, Big Data, artificial intelligence and robotics are already trends that are being applied around the world.

But from now on, more than trends, they will be mandatory elements for those who want to stand out in the market of the future.

So, do you already use any of them (or all of them) in your B2B processes?

Tell us in the comments!

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