UPS, one of the transport and logistics bigwigs has teamed up with Softeon, a supply chain solutions firm, to come up with a warehouse execution system (WES) in an effort to make distribution centres smarter and efficient. This comes at a time when the world is experiencing massive adoption of smart technologies accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic. The new system will allow faster order intake and fulfilment, that will enable customers to get their orders on time.

Supply chain management is becoming complex each year. The main influences that are occasioning evolution in this industry are the rapid globalization of supply chains. The globalization of supply chain networks often faces challenges associated with the risk of delays and confusion. As such, managers are doing their best by putting more attention to planning and coming up with contingency planning and management strategies that will address these challenges and increase customer satisfaction and performance in general. As procurement and supply chain operations increasingly adopt digitization, which is proving to be strategically necessary in the era of intense competition and increased customer demands, professionals in these areas must find ways of staying on top of things and getting data that they need in order to make the right decisions.

The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly exposed the vulnerabilities and weaknesses in global supply chains. It has demonstrated the dangers of relying on a single supply chain route and manufacturing facilities situated in one country for almost everything. As the virus continues pounding the world’s economies, the modern supply chain has been shown as having been built on shaky grounds. This has resulted in businesses and industries struggling to get the necessary materials needed during the crisis. The escalation of the pandemic has put what was seen decades ago as a supply chain process with few hitches under a test and has emerged as seriously flawed.