The Sensolus Top 5 Supply Chain Predictions for 2023

Since 2013, the Sensolus team has been involved with a large number of international digitization projects in industry, specific to non-powered assets in the supply chain such as transport packaging, stillages, containers, equipment, etc.?

Based on insights we have gained over the past decade, I have realized 5 supply chain predictions for 2023, and we anticipate the industry will reach unprecedented heights as these predictions take hold:

Prediction 1: Supply chain digitization is the new normal

It has become apparent that recent global economic changes are fueling the adoption of digitization within the supply chain. In 2020, the Covid pandemic caused a shock-wave in global supply chain processes. In 2022, war, the ongoing energy crisis, and the inflation of commodity prices have accelerated the need for data-driven insights into the supply chain.

2023 will not be different, industries are integrating digitization into their processes as the economic value drivers can’t be ignored. Digitization is a cost-saver, increases daily productivity, and provides more visibility and transparency to all stakeholders.?

There is a general awareness that supply chain digitization is the new normal. Like how phones, PCs, printers, internet, laptops, and smartphones have been adopted, Internet of Things (IoT) in non-powered assets will be normal soon. And those not stepping in will lose market share and competitiveness.?

Supply chain digitization has become a strategic asset for all industries.

Prediction 2: Compliance drives investments

As our regulatory and contractual environments becomes increasingly complex, my second prediction is that “compliance” will push more businesses to invest in digitizing non-powered assets. In all industries which we serve, industry leaders want to ensure they are compliant with the promises they make to their customers and stakeholders.?

Some of these promises are legally inspired, such as temperature control on perishable goods, food and pharmaceutical products, or multi-modal logistic logbooks for dangerous goods transport.

Many are contractually inspired, such as conditioning monitoring (shock/tilt) during transport, the timely delivery of goods at locations where suppliers have no access, ensuring buffer stocks of packaging to avoid penalties, or providing digital location logbooks for insurance purposes.?

Without any intention of a negative connotation, the industry leaders are investing to carve out the “loose ends” in their processes by digitizing the non-powered assets.?

They all strive for end-2-end process control and compliance.?

Prediction 3: Process intelligence is the next value wave?

The era of “process intelligence” is the core value driver for industries wanting to embrace the Internet of Things technology in their processes.?

In 2015, IoT companies primarily focused on “connecting non-powered assets” and creating “digital twins” of these individual assets in a scalable, reliable, and efficient way.

Digitization empowers the supply chain industry to effectively control these assets without the danger of blind spots and human error that comes with outdated, manual logging.

In 2019, the focus was shifted towards “connected processes”, i.e., getting visibility on the processes that rely on non-powered assets.?

For example, by integrating connected processes, industrial equipment manufacturers gain visibility on the performance of their packaging flows (KPIs), visibility on the retention and rotation of their packaging, and receive notifications if deviations occur.

As more assets become connected, processes become more visible, and process intelligence can finally flourish.?

In essence, the data collected around these “assets” and “processes” will ultimately fuel actionable insights that will optimize processes and transform businesses.?

IoT has become a crucial ingredient used by analyst teams (and AI platforms) to detect patterns, forecast improvements, and invest in change, which will have a long-term strategic impact on these industries.?

?Prediction 4: Technology maturation and standardization?

My fourth prediction is a technology-driven one. During conversations and workshops with the Sensolus team, I often refer to the “jungle of IoT” because IoT technology has many different hardware providers, communication protocols, localization technologies, upcoming inventions such as energy harvesting, satellite communications, blockchains, and so much more.?

IoT technology is constantly evolving, and customers can easily get lost in this “jungle,” not to mention the many dangers of investing in the wrong technology, which is required to operate for many years. Sensolus eliminated these worries for all its customers because we offer end-2-end accountability. Sensolus is a one-stop shop in that regard.?Sensolus eliminates these worries by offering end to end accountability and a function as a one-stop shop.

But let us not forget, 2023 is about more than just technology! Standardization and maturation are kicking in, with examples such as low-power cellular connectivity, Bluetooth as an industry standard, proven hardware will be available in volume, and so much more. The industry decision criteria have shifted beyond implementation, but rather towards the long-term reliability of the technology, i.e., proven OEM liability, hardware supply chain continuity, cyber security readiness, connectivity flexibility (no single vendor lock-ins anymore), guaranteed life-cycle management, etc.?

With the large-scale adoption of IoT, there is a strong focus on long-term operational risk reduction in its selection of partners.?

Personally, I′m also a bit of a tech junkie, but our industry is no longer about “innovation,” it is driven by “operational excellence and execution,” or as we like to put it “It just works!”

?Prediction 5: Corporate responsibility drives asset and process digitization?

My final prediction of 2023 is probably more of an annual wish for the year than a prediction. We all have a long-term, life-threatening challenge in front of us: climate change. This one will make the recent pandemic and economic hiccups feel like small wrinkles in a global shake-up.

?Digitization contributes significantly to our transition towards “doing more with less.” By creating digital twins of non-powered assets and generating process intelligence, we have the data and intelligence to reduce our environmental impact significantly.?

Going green with packaging and transportation is easier than you think! For starters, single-use packaging can be replaced with reusable options made from recycled plastics. Additionally, multi-modal logistics (including less polluting transportation means), asset loss prevention, and a circular economy implementing sharing of non-powered assets like containers or pallets offer great potential to reduce our global waste footprint.

We all have a common challenge, and asset digitization is certainly an innovation that can drive part of the transition. In 2023, when many economic challenges will be present in all industries, corporate responsibility will undeniably influence decision-making, and make a significant and positive impact in the long run.?