How to calm supply chain disruptions: Strategies for manufacturers

Current supply chain disruptions are typically attributed to the pandemic. However, the pandemic elevated underlying issues just waiting for the right circumstances to cause disruptions. Weak links in the supply chain aren’t going away once the pandemic ends. In a recent Industry Today article, Kim Doyle discusses how manufacturers can use Industry 4.0 technologies as a problem-solving framework to make supply chains more resilient to current and future disruptions. They dive into the importance of tailoring transformative technologies and tools to fit each specific needs, assessing critical risk and prioritizing key initiatives, and deploying a phased implementation in staged intervals.

Industry 4.0 technologies bring an unprecedented degree of insight into supply chain and materials flow to reduce supply chain disruption and better manage risk in an uncertain and increasingly competitive environment. Manufacturers that fail to fully embrace Industry 4.0 applications to optimize their supply chains may not survive the next disruption, let alone keep pace with their competition.