TECH & AI
Industry 4.0 technologies are helping to make supply chains more resilient , but with its strengths there are also weaknesses and areas in which it needs to improve
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There ’ s probably not a single supply chain professional on the planet who has failed to utter the words ' visibility ’, ‘ resilience ’ and ‘ agility ’ over the past two tumultuous years .
In striving to bring these qualities to their supply chains , organisations have turned to Industry 4.0 technologies such as Artificial Intelligence ( AI ), Machine Learning ( ML ) and the Internet of Things ( IoT ). Such tech is reshaping the way businesses operate in a world of uncertainty and disruption .
Leanne Melnyk is Head of Global Supply Chains at Diginex , a blockchain-enabled SaaS solution for ESG reporting . Asked how Industry 4.0 tech is helping organisations build supply chain resilience , she says : “ Since the dawn of Industry 4.0 , there ’ s been maturation of transparency in supply chains .”
Melnyk adds that , with increased focus on environmental and social risks , the demand for transparency “ is extending into the upstream parts of a company ’ s supply chain ”, and that this means “ more data will need to be collected from multiple actors , including indirect suppliers and workers ”.
“ This increases supply chain resilience , because the physical is connected with the digital , which opens up new pathways and provides real-time information and visibility into processes and operations at all levels .”
Striking examples of Industry 4.0 at play in supply chain There can be no doubt that Industry 4.0 technology is revolutionising the way that
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