We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • SUBMISSIONS
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • CSCMP EDGE 2022 Startup Alley
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • CSCMP EDGE 2022 Startup Alley
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
Home » Help wanted: Supply chains desperately need employees with sophisticated technology skills
Forward Thinking

Help wanted: Supply chains desperately need employees with sophisticated technology skills

April 22, 2015
Supply Chain Quarterly Staff
No Comments

A blizzard of emerging technologies—from robotics and 3-D printing to predictive analytics and network optimization tools—has the potential to transform how supply chains operate, according to an annual industry report from the industry association MHI and the consulting firm Deloitte. That progress, however, is being inhibited by an acute shortage of people who are capable of managing and maintaining these sophisticated technologies.

The report, Supply chain innovation—Making the impossible possible, identifies eight technologies that could enable supply chains to keep up with rising customer expectations: inventory and network optimization tools; sensors and automatic identification; cloud computing and storage; robotics and automation; predictive analytics; wearable and mobile technology; 3-D printing; and driverless vehicles and drones. These technologies have the potential to yield enormous productivity and service improvements. However, their sophistication demands a level of skill and knowledge that the current workforce, on balance, appears to lack, according to the report, which is based on a survey of more than 400 supply chain executives. According to the survey, 31 percent of respondents said the absence of adequate talent to work with new technologies was "a significant barrier to their implementation."

In the initial report, issued in 2014, MHI and Deloitte estimated that 1.4 million jobs would be created in the logistics and supply chain management industries in the United States by 2018. However, the report cited 2012 data from the World Economic Forum that 600,000 manufacturing positions in the U.S. are unfilled due to a lack of qualified workers.

The supply-demand mismatch will take on increasing importance, in part because companies are expected to rapidly accept new technologies. For example, the report found that 24 percent of companies surveyed are currently using predictive analytics. That number, however, is expected to rise to 70 percent in three to five years, and to 77 percent after six years. Adoption levels for mobile and wearable technology—including smartphones, wireless devices, and "smart glasses," are projected to reach 64 percent in three to five years, up from 23 percent today.

The report can be downloaded here.

  • Related Articles

    Study: Middle-market companies need more sophisticated financial measurements

    Help Wanted: Logistics providers boost warehousing staff for peak season

    Report: Hiring trends overlook needed technology skills

Recent Articles by Supply Chain Quarterly Staff

Intermodal sector weathered a “challenging” year in 2022, IANA says

Freight sector missed the boat on strong U.S. economy in Q3 and Q4, FTR says

Freightos completes plan to go public on NASDAQ exchange, raises $80 million

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular Articles

  • Forecasts call for freight rate slumps in 2023

  • Projected U.S. recession in early 2023 will soften freight market

  • Inflation drops again as interest rate hikes hit home, NRF says

  • How to avoid the next crisis: A new approach to supply chain agility

  • New Jersey truck fleet says Freightliner tractors will deliver safety as well as freight

Featured Video

20221107korber large vs

Enhancing Customer Experience with Your Supply Chain Strategy

Viewer Contributed
With the rise of e-commerce, many businesses have had to transform their warehouses to handle online orders in addition to regularly scheduled inventory shipments. This means warehouses need more information than ever before to ensure they can meet customers' needs. As a result, companies need to select warehouse...

FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

  • Guide to Pallet Rack Safety

  • 3PLs: Complete Orders Faster with Flexible Automation

  • A shipper's guide to navigating post-pandemic holiday freight

  • THE NEW WAY TO WAREHOUSE: 4 Innovations in Automation & Robotics to Boost Warehouse Productivity

View More

Subscribe to Supply Chain Quarterly

Get Your Subscription
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • E-NEWSLETTERS
  • ADVERTISING
  • CUSTOMER CARE
  • CONTACT
  • ABOUT
  • STAFF
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright ©2023. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing