2D Barcodes
As the size of the organizations increase, the number of
items flowing in the supply chain of organizations also increases rapidly. To
track these items simple barcodes will no longer be sufficient as the
information required to track them is a lot. So the organizations are starting
to shift to a 2D barcode system which will allow them to record several
thousand bytes of data which is way much more information than the traditional
barcodes can. They are also called as Matrix codes. They are being used in item
management, traceability and other operations. Improvements in auto focusing
imaging technology allow for barcodes to be read from as far as 50 feet away
and even in the dark.
One example of 2D barcodes is they are used in pharmaceutical
industry to track the counterfeit and recalled drugs and generally to improve traceability
of the drugs.
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| Bar code Scanner |
Social
Media
Social Media becoming increasingly important in supply chains
year after year. This is making the supply chains greatly efficient. Social
networks provide a wealth of data which can be used all over the supply chain.
These sites can be used gauge the customer and market sentiments and plan the
supply chain accordingly. For example the customers’ satisfaction with a
product can be gauged from social media and based on that the demand can be
forecasted more accurately and the inventory can be restocked accordingly. A
lot of new social network websites like http://chain.co/
are being introduced just for organizations to communicate with each other and
these are being used by the partners in the supply chain to communicate and
keep tabs on the supply chain. A lot of existing ERP and other supply chain
management software have been integrated with social networks to communicate
information quicker.
DHL are involved in a new project called ‘MyWays’ which is an
innovative way of performing the last mile of delivery. They use the crowd of
people to deliver to customers where and when they want. This allows people to
deliver packages to customers whose package is to be delivered to a location
which is along the same route they are taking. This is revolutionizing how the
last mile delivery is being done.
3D Printing
3D printing is a huge technological innovation. It is set to
have a massive impact on the supply chains as well. This will reduce the
complexity of the supply chain and help in reducing a lot of the costs involved
in logistics and other parts of the supply chain. This also allows to easily customize
the products based on the customers’ preferences. 3D printing has a huge
advantage as it produces very little wastage as the items are created by adding
materials instead of subtracting them. This has great scope to be used in the
lean manufacturing industry. The time taken to produce items is a lot, so sing
3D printers to mass produce the items is not set to happen in the immediate
future. For the time being 3D printing can only be used in the supply chains in
case of emergencies.
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