The Supply Chain Briefing discussion board is an essential part of this course. One of the most important skills employers look for are the ability to critically think and communicate concisely.
Please select any one of the articles below and post a one page (300-350 words) summary of the article to include:
Why you chose this article
Relevance to the course
Article Summary Brief
Takeaways – agree or disagree or not sure and recommendations
The post considers overall quality of the response, not just word count, as well as grammar, paragraphing, sentence structure, spelling and most importantly your findings and recommendations.
Then, select any classmates article and respond. Remember “netiquette” is always required. Its OK to disagree with a classmate, but do so in a appropriate manner.
https://www.globaltrademag.com/the-human-factor-in-logistics-exploring-the-role-of-people-in-supply-chain-management/?utm_source=GT+Newsletter+Subscribers&utm_campaign=f3dbab1bf1-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_02_15_06_52_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-936980a8ae-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D This is a great closing semester article. Its a month old, but does a nice job summarizing
https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/18/tesla-semi-big-rig-charging-corridor-biden-funding/ Big deal, Little or No Deal? Consider autonomous trucking as well. Perfect Lane.
https://www.thestreet.com/automotive/mexican-government-closing-u-s-market-back-door-for-chinese-auto-imports What’s the real reason behind this? Its 2026 – why?
https://supplychaindigital.com/technology/home-depot-google-cloud-partnership
https://chainstoreage.com/survey-supply-chain-leaders-continue-automation-efforts What is the driver?
https://www.thescxchange.com/articles/10121-ocean-freight-rates-expected-to-jump-after-iran-seizes-containership What should Supply Chain Professionals be doing right now?
NO AI FOR BOTH
Reply 2 post :
Arri-First
Why I chose this article:
I picked this article (Supply Chain Leaders Continue Automation Efforts) because I find it interesting how companies are using technology to help their business run smoother. This article is relevant to the course because it shows how technology is being used within supply chains.
Article Summary:
This article talks about the results of a new survey by a company called Descartes about how companies use robots and computers to help their workers do their jobs. The study revealed that 54% of supply chain and logistics leaders are focusing on automating repetitive tasks and non-value-added activities to enhance worker productivity. With 76% of respondents highlighting significant workforce shortages within supply chain operations. The article also said over half of the companies surveyed use automation technology to do repetitive tasks so their employees can work on more important things. The study also showed the technology that companies like to use and how they are working to attract and keep workers. As mentioned in the article, Chris Jones, executive VP of industry at Descartes, believes it is essential that companies develop new and better ways to handle their operations and find talented employees. He emphasized the need for a more comprehensive approach that goes beyond financial incentives in which companies should focus on their current resources to build and keep a competent workforce.
Takeaways:
The main takeaway from the article is that many companies are using robots and computers to make their work easier and more efficient. This helps their workers focus on important tasks and reduces the impact of not having enough workers.
Agree/Disagree/Not Sure:
I agree with what the article says about companies using technology to improve work and reduce the impact of not having enough workers.
Recommendations:
Companies should continue to invest in technology to improve productivity and efficiency.
Companies should consider other strategies to keep workers, such as flexible working hours and extra training.
Alisha-Second:
I choose, “Home Depot is Enhancing CX” as it highlights the importance of a partnership between Google Cloud and Home Depot, which demonstrates how technology can be used to improve customer satisfaction and have a good workflow in the retail industry. The other reason I chose this is how everyone is talking about our cloud and what could be the impact of this technology in our daily lives.
As far as relevance our course explains how we can integrate technology in supply chain management so that we can improve our operation including inventory management and the overall supply chain cycle. With the use of technology, we can improve our decision-making process and make improvements in our supply chain cycle.
The article focused on the partnership between Google Cloud and Home Depot that focused on using technology to assist customers in completing their home improvement projects along with smooth inventory operation for Home Depot. This partnership has created Home Depot’s Sidekick mobile app which uses a Machine Learning model to give knowledge about inventory to its associates so that customers do not have to miss any available inventory. Besides that, this app also helps to find products faster and has played a significant role in 2020 when there was a huge surge in online shopping due to the global pandemic. The article also talks about the future use of computer vision, and generative AI to optimize inventory management in the supply chain industry.
I agree with this article as it explains how technology can be used to improve the performance of a company and how it enhances the overall supply chain management. The goal of the technology is to improve the customer service experience better so that the company becomes competitive in the market. With continuous innovation and data-driven decision-making, there is no doubt that this keeps on improving the supply chain workflow and reducing the cost in supply chain management.
