Like supply chains, human intelligence is complex. Cognitive load often drains humans as they seek information, creativity, and solutions for various life problems. Professionals in any discipline or industry, like our personal lives, must also utilize their cognitive abilities to overcome business challenges and pain points. Repeatedly relying on life and supply chain management with too much cognitive load can lead to burnout and fatigue.
A study on employee mental health from the McKinsey Health Institute focused on burnout, its workplace correlates, and implications for leaders. As noted, “On average, one in four employees surveyed report experiencing burnout symptoms. These high rates were observed worldwide and among various demographics and are consistent with global trends.”
Burnout symptoms are an employee’s experience of extreme tiredness, reduced ability to regulate cognitive and emotional processes, and mental distancing. As more pain points exist and more challenges persist, particularly the need to rely on human cognition alone without using technology to reduce cognitive load. Naturally, human workers’ productivity will suffer.
Consider the events of the past 24+ months, chock full of massive supply chain disruptions and transformative changes. With the rise of imports causing higher prices, less capacity, long wait times, and the near real-time reorientation of how to manage supply chains amid chaos, it is no wonder that these supply chain challenges persist—and many employees are less productive.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, like OpenAI’s ChatGPT3, can help reduce cognitive load by presenting information or tips to help humans solve problems in their lives and businesses.
Furthermore, artificial intelligence tools have grown increasingly valuable in supply chains, as AI helps identify and recommend solutions to organizations’ pain points. AI can help organizations identify the root cause of their supply chain problems and provide suggestions for improvement.
Additionally, AI and other cutting-edge supply chain technologies can monitor supply chain performance continuously and adjust strategies accordingly. This helps ensure supply chain operations are optimized for the highest performance and efficiency. By leveraging AI to reduce cognitive load, organizations can focus their resources on the most critical tasks and ensure that their supply chain runs smoothly.
With that, we decided to have a little fun with these AI tools to relieve our cognitive load by helping us get started with writing a blog on supply chain pain points. Note: this article originated with the help of OpenAI’s Chat GPT3 tool; however, it was then crafted, shaped, copy-edited, and produced with love from the Turvo Team!
What are the Top Supply Chain Pain Points?
Supply chains are integral to the success of any business, but managing them can be challenging. Today’s supply chains are becoming increasingly complex and competitive, making it difficult for companies to remain ahead of the curve. There are several pain points that businesses need to be aware of to ensure their supply chains are efficient and effective.
Lack of Visibility
The first and most pressing of these pain points is the lack of visibility. Without a clear view of their supply chain, businesses can experience inefficiencies and increased costs. This is especially true for those that operate in a global market, as having a good understanding of the entire chain is critical. Businesses should invest in technology that can provide real-time insights into their supply chain to address this issue. Doing so can help them identify potential problems and take corrective measures before they become costly.
Ineffective Communication
The second pain point is ineffective communication. When different stakeholders in the supply chain need to be on the same page, it can lead to delays, errors, and other problems. To address this issue, companies should invest in technology that provides the ability to collaborate: easily message, store documents, and meet stakeholders where they are (such as through a Driver App or web portal) that allows them to quickly and easily share information with their partners. This helps them ensure that everyone is on the same page and reduces the chances of shipment exceptions. Additionally, specific logistics functions in the warehouse, such as appointment scheduling, allow for efficient communication with all stakeholders who are looking to reduce the hassle of handling the dock — regardless of the number of bays, facilities, or warehouses in your network to automate appointment scheduling and increase productivity ~10x.
Limited Collaboration
The third pain point is limited collaboration. Many supply chain partners work in silos, which can limit the effectiveness of their collaboration and lead to suboptimal outcomes. Businesses can address this issue by implementing a collaborative logistics platform that allows them to easily share information and collaborate with their partners. This will help them ensure everyone works together to achieve the best results.
Increasing Complexity in Supply Chain Management
The fourth pain point is the increasing complexity of supply chains. As they become more global and interconnected, they become increasingly complex, which can create challenges for companies trying to manage them. To address this issue, businesses should invest in technology that can help them keep track of the different elements of their supply chain, such as connecting order management to shipment execution, which improves overall inventory management. This will help them ensure that everything is running smoothly and that they can quickly adapt to market changes.
Increased Competition
Finally, businesses are facing increasing competition in the market. They must constantly strive to reduce costs and improve their supply chain performance to stay ahead of the curve. To do this, companies should focus on becoming more efficient and utilizing data and analytics to make informed decisions. By doing this, they can ensure that their supply chain is running smoothly and cost-effectively, which will help them remain competitive in the market.
Managing a supply chain can be challenging, but it is essential to any successful business. By being aware of the pain points in their supply chain, businesses can take steps to address them and ensure that their supply chain is running smoothly and efficiently. By investing in the right technology, such as Turvo, and utilizing data to make informed decisions, businesses can stay ahead of the competition and remain successful. Schedule a demo of Turvo today to learn how to overcome these supply chain pain points.
