What did 2017 bring us in Supply Chain Tech?

This weekend Forbes released an article focused on the supply chain technologies that trended in 2017, via studies done by ARC Advisory Group. ARC’s reports measured performance/implementation of said technologies versus the maturity of their existence.

The six areas of supply chain tech that were discussed in further detail within the Forbes article are:

1. Autonomous Trucking

2. Artificial Intelligence

3. 3D Printing

4. Autonomous Robots for manufacturing use

5. Uberization of Freight/Shared Shipping

6. SNEW Data

The curve of technology maturity, created by ARC, displays that many of these trendy technology domains are improving and beginning to effect overall supply chain performance, but still remain in their infancy.

Artificial Intelligence - along with Machine Learning and other applications of it’s technology – has clearly become a focus of businesses world-wide.

“Crunchbase reported that over the last year over $4 billion in venture capital has been invested in AI firms just in the US. Investments in AI and machine learning are key drivers in the ‘arms-race’ between software vendors to achieve differentiation in this space” (Forbes 2017).

The surge of investment into new and rather underdeveloped technologies poses a large risk for supply chain vendors and businesses alike. While the ability to see areas for implementation exists, AI solutions aren’t quite 100% there yet.

Moving away from the artificially intelligent to other autonomous technologies, autonomous trucking and robots have - too - seen a big upswing in investment and interest in 2017.

While robotics have begun to become a norm in the methods for manufacturing in some of the largest corporations, autonomous trucking still sits idly with a large question mark overhead. “Despite the billions of dollars invested in multiple autonomous vehicle technologies, the road to fully autonomous vehicles operating in an urban environment involves surmounting almost un-imaginable technological hurdles. Additionally, legal, infrastructure, and economic hurdles still need to be overcome” (Forbes 2017).

Maturity vs. Performance…

Utilizing this kind of critical perspective is important when viewing the trends and buzzwords in our fast-food media world.

Now the question remains, what will 2018 bring?

READ THIS ARTICLE'S INSPIRATION HERE