Supply chain management in the era of fast clockspeed emergence of new logistical technologies

• Main Author: Ng, Siow Yun
• Other Authors: Teo Chee Chong
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Maritime studies::Maritime management and business
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/71167
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

In recent years, it is observed that with technological advancement and increased competition in the market, the clockspeed of most industries is increasing. Product lifecycles are getting shorter, the rate of product obsolescence is increasing and customers are also becoming harder to please. They demand for greater product variety and are less tolerant to delay. In addition, the greater demand volatility and uncertainty are also making it harder for companies to forecast their demand accurately. To make matters worse, it is no longer about how well companies compete as a single organisation, but about how well can they manage their supply chain. Thus, there is a greater need for companies to adapt and align their supply chain in response to the aforementioned challenges. One emerging trend that can be seen in many industries today is the usage of new logistical technologies in their operations. Different technologies are employed for different purposes such as gathering of real time data or for inventory inspection in warehouses. Among the technologies that are in the market today, three disruptive technologies are garnering the attention of the market: 3D printing, driverless trucks and drones. It is claimed by many researchers that the capabilities of these three technologies are set to disrupt existing supply chains. Therefore, with the many challenges that companies face in this era of fast clockspeed, there is a need to analyse and evaluate on the effectiveness of these technologies in helping companies to mitigate those challenges. This will be the main focus of the project. Furthermore, with such a turbulent environment in today marketplace, company realized that in order for them to remain competitive, it is essential that they adopt an agile supply chain strategy. Thus, an analysis on the effectiveness of these three technologies in equipping the existing supply chains with agility will also be provided. Agility in a supply chain can in turn be defined by four key capabilities: responsiveness, competency, flexibility and quickness. Lastly, a recommended model of how these technologies can be applied in the supply chain of the consumer electronics industry will be discussed. This project focuses on the manufacturing industry rather than the service industry.