Supply Chain 2016

2016 wasn’t all bad.

In the supply chain industry, innovations in brand protection and inventory systems have allowed companies like to reach customers on new levels, and grow with ever-changing technology. Supply chains play some of the most important roles in the active daily processes for millions of businesses globally, producing a massive shock wave effect on their respective partners.

Thanks to our friends at Material Handling & Logistics and UPS, we’ve narrowed down some of the most important supply chain innovations from 2016.

  1. Hack-Proof Inventory Management Systems: Like the chips in your new credit cards, the intelligence coming from MIT and Texas Instruments have invented a similar chip technology for packages, making it much more difficult for theft within warehouses. (MHL News)
  2. Brand Protection: A new technology, made specifically for e-commerce and retail, has been developed by eApeiron that can digitally mark and track packages to ensure the safety and authenticity of packages used within the supply chain, greatly decreasing the risk of stolen and counterfeit materials and goods. (MHL News)
  3. Electric Trucks: With the advent, popularity, and many benefits of electric cars comes the inevitable and very-welcomed introduction of the electronic truck. In just 5 years, Mercedes-Benz is set to introduce its first “eTruck.” Its primary use will be for urban deliveries, such as supermarkets, where an electric truck can save the environment significant amounts of emissions. (MHL News)
  4. End-to-End Visibility: “Visibility is a prerequisite to supply chain agility and responsiveness.” According to a recent Aberdeen Group study, the vast majority (almost 85%) of supply chain executives aim for visibility among all processes from start to finish. In other terms, there should be no unanswered questions or unknowns inside the supply chain process on either the supplier or client side. (UPS)
  5. Increased Collaboration and Sharing: Working with suppliers and partners is not new in 2016, but UPS supply chain data for this year shows an emphasis on the importance of quality and in-depth relationships with existing partners. “What we are seeing at UPS are companies reducing the number of suppliers and developing tighter business partnerships with those that remain in the chain,” says Rayford Collins of UPS Customized Solutions Group. (UPS)
  6. Sustainability: This has been a recurring theme on the United Packaging front, and for good reason. Sustainability is here to stay, as the global epidemic of waste increases year to year. 2016 saw the development of a measure for the carbon footprint of the logistics supply chain by the Global Logistics Emissions Council (GLEC). Emissions can now be calculated for all forms of transportation on a global level, including road, rail, ocean, and air transportation. (MHL News)