The issue of waste and how to cut it down is a primary concern for many businesses. In the fashion and lifestyle sector, the decline in consumer spending and shifting preferences mean that retailers will end 2022 with massive stock shortages. Variations in industrial production in recent years have led to the auto industry needed help to match the inventory to the demand. Additionally, in the chemical industry, which has a complicated supply chain and components that are frequently perishable, disruptions increase the chance of loss of products.
The digitalization of logistics is an element of the answer. Supply chain management in the digital age could provide businesses with greater visibility and improve their ability to ensure that the correct items are in the right place at the appropriate moment. It helps to simplify procedures, improve efficiency and reliability, and enables businesses to react quickly to disruptions. More advanced digitalization could help companies identify patterns and predict demand better. This can help enterprises make better decisions, resulting in less waste – not only downstream but also upstream. That is, stopping waste before it starts.
In August 2022 in 2022, a McKinsey study discovered that 67% of businesses utilize digital dashboards to enhance end-to-end visibility. They had twice the chance to stay clear of disruptions in the supply chain. They are also able to scenario-plan more efficiently. This kind of technology holds huge potential to boost resilience, increase efficiency and decrease pollution across all industries, including automobile, chemicals, and lifestyle. It also appeals to consumers. According to the IPSOS, 75% of customers worldwide are more satisfied with companies that implement changes to enhance sustainability.
In the second half of 2022, fashion and lifestyle companies have been faced with unimaginable levels of inventory that need to be sold. Within North America, for example, Bloomberg reports that retailers’ inventory levels are up to 70% higher than in 2021. In contrast, Latin American retailers are reporting increases in inventory that exceed 40 percent. This has impacted exports of textiles to Southeast Asia. In September 2022, the exports decreased by 7.5 percent within Cambodia and 14 percent for Vietnam, DW reported.
The current situation is a shocking reversal of the booming demand for goods and the inventory shortages which characterized 2021. Supply chain concerns are less severe, but the inflationary cost of living and economic uncertainty has forced consumers to cut back on their spending. The ones still spending are drastically changing their post-pandemic buying habits, moving away from the products they use at home and focusing on activities like dining out and traveling. To decrease the number of stocks, companies will use massive discounting. The majority of inventory needs to be put into the dump.
The circumstances that have led to these current numbers of inventory that are not sold are unique. While 2023 may not be completely free of supply chain issues, Many, such as the most recent Logistics Managers Index, anticipate that the situation will improve. This presents a chance to use digital solutions for supply chain management to cut down on waste in the future. Digitalizing logistics provides fashion and lifestyle companies access to their supply chain at each phase. It can provide more certainty regarding the timeframe for delivery and lead times. They also help businesses streamline their supply chain and eliminate friction. This allows businesses to be able to react swiftly to changes in the market and demands from consumers. The higher the degree of digitalization, the better the company’s visibility and the closer to a system that can identify consumer trends and demands. This means that businesses will get to the point where they can adapt their production to meet the demand and decide which products to ship to where, which increases their ability to cut down on waste starting from the beginning.
The automotive industry also has the potential to reduce waste by implementing digitalization in logistics. Since the beginning of 2022, worldwide shortages of chips and supply chain problems have afflicted the sector. However, inventory levels for automotive vehicles worldwide are similar to what they did in 2021, but many automakers are returning to full-time production. S&P Global predicts that the auto industry will only be able to meet the demand in 2023. Digitalization can enhance visibility across the entire supply chain, help businesses identify weaknesses at every stage of supply chain management, and determine the most efficient solutions.
A survey conducted by LNS Research identified manufacturing efficiency as the most important operational goal for automotive companies in the supply chain. The digitalization of logistics can be a crucial element in achieving this goal and cutting down on waste throughout the entire industry. By knowing what parts are being delivered at what time and have detailed information on disruptions and the alternatives for responding, firms are better equipped to make more informed decisions about what they should do. They can move production to whatever vehicle is most appropriate to the current supply levels. This lets them overcome component shortages and delivery delays and minimize the loss of materials and components.
Data is generated throughout the various stages of the supply chain for automotive. Digitalization means that this data can be gathered, allowing us to determine trends and predict behavior patterns. As with fashion and lifestyle, this data helps the industry determine where the demand is and will be in the future. Manufacturing decisions can be made to ensure that inventory is aligned with consumer buying habits.
The chemical industry is striving to reduce the amount of waste. The supply chain for chemicals is among the most complicated around the globe. The industry is fragmented. Raw materials and final products frequently move across various countries, and products are subject to strict regulation. Making sure that materials are in the place they are required to be when they are needed a challenge, and that’s where the possibility of waste arises, particularly in the case of perishable products.
According to a study by the ARC Advisory Group, more than 90 percent of chemical companies have implemented sustainability programs and believe that digital technology is essential to advancing their initiatives. Logictics interviewed more than 100 executives from Chemical supply chains by 2022. each of them thought that digitalization was more critical than ever before. Although they acknowledged the difficulties in achieving consensus and integrating systems into their complicated procedures, they all united in their understanding of the potential for streamlined.
Similar to the lifestyle and automotive industries, Chemical companies can utilize digital supply chain solutions to improve transparency and decrease the amount of waste. They can better comprehend the time frames for delivery so that they are prepared to react to interruptions and reduce the effects of production processes. It can also aid them in making the best product choices. Additionally, they could consider special considerations when transporting hazardous and perishable chemicals.
The United Nations Environment Program estimates that more than 11 billion tons of waste are produced around the globe every year. Digital transformations in supply chain logistics may be a part of the solution to reduce the amount of garbage paid – whether in chemicals and lifestyle, automobile, or any other sector.
THE LARGEST & BIGGEST LOGISTIC INDUSTRY IN THE WORLD