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The landscape continues to shift for supply chain professionals as businesses struggle to meet various challenges and deliver the best possible customer experience. In an era of rapid digitization and constant disruption, the old ways of managing supply chains are no longer sufficient. Fortunately, there are new and better ways to get things done. Here are some of the top supply chain trends to keep an eye on in 2024 and beyond.

Supply chains were once plagued with inefficiencies because they operated using stale or outdated data. Not anymore. In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing business landscape, predictive analytics plays a critical role in enhancing operational efficiency and maintaining a competitive advantage. Here’s how predictive analytics is breathing life into supply chains and making them more resilient.

The supply chain disruptions of the past several years have forced most businesses to revisit their inventory management philosophies and systems. Across every industry, more effective and advanced methods of managing inventory have emerged, which are shaping the way organizations do business and create a positive customer experience. Here are some of the ongoing challenges in inventory management and the top inventory management trends shaping the future.

The landscape of modern warehouse management is rapidly evolving, driven by the increased demands of a global supply chain combined with technological advancements. Today’s warehouses have evolved from places that store products into complex systems that require efficient management of inventory, order fulfillment, and logistics to meet the changing requirements of business partners and consumers alike.

Most manufacturing businesses would agree that space is always a limited resource. Even when you have a large footprint, you’ll undoubtedly fill it up quickly. But is the space on your production floor optimized? If your manufacturing or production floor is running short on space, there are ways to rethink your setup and your operations to win back some valuable square footage.

Increasing online sales also means an increase in the importance of reverse logistics. According to Deloitte, online purchases are being returned three times more often than purchases made at physical stores. This unprecedented level of consumer returns poses many challenges for businesses and the supply chain. 

As return rates skyrocket, sellers must rethink how they approach their processes. Retailers can save significantly on the costs of handling all these returns–if they prioritize streamlining their reverse logistics processes.

Emerging inventory management trends are redefining operations, and everything from AI to RFID to the Internet of Things is changing inventory management and tracking. Learn about print-on-demand, warehouse automation, cloud-based management, and omnichannel inventory control, and discover how to supercharge your inventory management practices.

US shoppers spent approximately $95.9 billion on click-and-collect purchases in 2022--and this trend is only expected to grow. By 2027, this figure is expected to grow to $703.2 billion. Almost two-thirds of US retail stores are offering “BOPIS” options--discover why customers are taking to this trend so strongly and learn what tools you need to make it work.

Especially during busy periods and holiday surges, retailers are finding new ways to cut down on wait times to maintain customer relationships and provide better customer service—and it all comes down to line busting. Mobile printers and powered retail carts are making all the difference, allowing customers to pay from anywhere and banish long lines forever.

Issues with safety or quality are all too common, thanks in large part to giving QC professionals too many manual tasks, not giving them the support they need, or facing workflow challenges. Discover how to circumvent these issues with automated processes, better operational processes, and more.