DEALING WITH DISASTERS
supply chain then eventually becomes self-steering and self-optimising . In the past we ’ ve looked at management philosophies like ‘ swarm thinking ’, which is similar , but Industry 4.0 shifts this process from mass production to a position of ultimate flexibility where everything can be different ,” he continues .
“ Similarly , on the transportation side , you then end up eventually with metal sheets that have been formed into the right shape for that particular car model and then the metal negotiates with the truck or lorry or vessel or air freighter and tells them , ‘ okay , I need to go to this destination on the other side of the country so when do we leave ? Can you take me ? Is there a better option ?’ This is a negotiation process and the whole
DEALING WITH DISASTERS
Real-time visibility will increasingly become an expected element of an effective supply chain , particularly when it comes to dealing with natural disasters . Arguably , there are three main areas to consider here : preparing for a natural disaster , predicting it and then managing risk within the supply chain .
JDA work with its partner TransVoyant and uses its technology which employs advanced analytics on real-time big data curated from sensors , radar , smartphones , satellites , GPS , video cameras , and other devices to produce live and predictive insights to transform their supply chain performance . “ TransVoyant provide data streams including track and trace information on where stuff is in the world , be it vessels , containers , trucks etc . Then
37