INDUSTRY WATCH
THIS YEAR , WE ’ VE DECIDED TO FOCUS ON BROADER , OVERARCHING TECHNOLOGY THEMES RATHER THAN INDIVIDUAL TECHNOLOGIES .
With the growing need for digitally interconnected supply chain networks , Gartner has identified the top eight supply chain technology themes in 2021 . Gartner analysts have selected the themes for their transformational potential and their ability to foster operational resiliency across business functions , technology and service delivery .
Christian Titze , Vice President Analyst , Gartner Supply Chain , said : “ This year , we ’ ve decided to focus on broader , overarching technology themes rather than individual technologies . This is because innovative technologies are often combined together in order to solve specific supply chain business problems .”
The current top supply chain technology themes are :
Hyperautomation
Hyperautomation describes the combination of technologies such as Machine Learning ( ML ), Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) and Robotic Process Automation ( RPA ) that can facilitate or automate tasks that originally required some form of human judgment or action .
Over the next 10 years , people and businesses will need to delegate more and more authority of decision making to intelligent applications , physical robots and software service assistants .
Hyperautomation is expected to help automate transactional processes , such as order to cash and complex decision making , eventually augmenting human capabilities and supporting the creation of an autonomous supply chain .
Digital Supply Chain Twin ( DSCT )
The DSCT is a digital representation of the physical supply chain . It is the basis for local and end-toend ( E2E ) decision making for the supply chain and ensures that this decision making is aligned horizontally and vertically throughout the network . The DSCT is derived from all the relevant data across the supply chain and its operating environment .
Immersive experience and applications
Immersive experience reimagines the user experience by enabling users to perceive and interact with the virtual world . Head-mounted displays ( HMDs ), wearables , smart glasses , 5G and even smartphones or tablets provide the infrastructure and enhancements to immersive experiences through a mix of graphic processing , AI and other individual business applications .
“ Immersive experience technologies have the potential to radically influence the trajectory of supply chain management . It presents new interaction models through the product life cycle , not only with humans , but with other processes , machines and applications ,” said Titze .
“ Pioneer companies already benefit from outcomes , such as safer working environments , faster repair times , improved work error rate , better collaboration and retention of skills and knowledge .”
Edge ecosystems
Edge ecosystems consist of Edge Computing and edge data processing applications . Edge ecosystems
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