In the current connected world, the supply chain faces a wide range of threats, both physical and cyber. The two have different implications for organizations. While physical threats can be more obvious and blatant in supply chains, cybersecurity threats are less noticeable and highly unpredictable and as such, they can cause massive damage to an organization. Think of terrorists attacking oil infrastructure and interfering with the supply chain. This is supply chain terrorism that is now one of the worst crimes. For this reason, the Federal Communications Commission has come up with new rules that regulate telecommunications devices that are used in the US. The recent action included the reduction of telecom infrastructure from China. This move is geared towards identifying, evaluating and addressing transactions that involve these hardware devices.

Blockchain discussion is everywhere. Starting in 2017 when the concept gained momentum, many industry-wide applications have emerged. The decentralized ledger technology that is the basis of blockchain has brought scalability, enhanced speed of transactions and improved security and will, without doubt, transform the world. With these advantages, industry leaders are now exploring possible ways that they can use this technology to their advantage.

The rise of IoT will significantly change many industries. However, companies that use IoT devices have faced various challenges mainly due to high cost of these devices. Companies in inventory and supply chain management have in the past experienced increased spending, and this is likely to go on between now and 2023. The increase in spending will result from new models of business that include software and products-as-a-service. The reduced cost of IoT sensors, increased connectivity and emerging software will be the leading areas that manufacturers will take advantage of going forward.