Businesses and consumers alike have been holding their breath since the pandemic began, hoping for a return to “normal.” But recent economic data suggesting a recession is looming suggests we may have to wait a little longer.
Moreover, we face the challenges of global supply chain management. This is due to inventory constraints, which have led to skyrocketing costs in areas such as labor, energy and transportation, causing inflation. In response, organizations are turning their backs on complex projects like software application modernization. To weather these ongoing crises, efforts are instead shifting to supply chain resilience at the local level.
Companies looking to modernize their supply chain business processes are finding that fewer developers than ever are willing to do this work. A developer shortage was recorded even before the pandemic, but this deficit continues to be exacerbated by phenomena such as mass resignations, and will only get worse if a recession forces companies to further tighten hiring budgets. .
But organizations can realize significant efficiencies in their supply chains if they can complete their digital transformation. Cloud-based and mobile business applications can beat the recession. It optimizes workflows, streamlines business processes, improves productivity, and enables companies to increase data visibility across the organization. As supply chain applications for activities such as procurement, goods movement, asset transportation, and other critical tasks move to the cloud, workers can easily and securely access data from anywhere, whether in the field or in the field. will be able to access. All of this leads to better overall business outcomes.
In asset-intensive industries such as manufacturing, retail, logistics, automotive, energy, utilities, mining, oil and gas, it is more important than ever to keep operations and supply chains running quickly and smoothly to cope with losses. will be important to We are experiencing rising costs and a slowing economy.
Modernization of supply chain business processes in an ERP (enterprise resource planning) environment can improve efficiency in areas such as warehouse management, asset management, inventory management, and logistics. Such transitions have traditionally required long-term, costly, and disruptive overhauls of software applications performed by highly skilled programmers.
So, in the face of a looming recession and an ongoing developer shortage, how can companies accomplish complex modernization projects?
Benefits of ready-to-deploy low-code supply chain applications
Technology in the supply chain logistics category continues to evolve, with new solutions emerging to provide cloud-enabled, customizable, low-code business applications for a variety of supply chain functions. Due to its nature as a low-code solution, it requires far less integrated manpower to implement than traditional modernization methods. This allows companies to save and achieve more innovation with fewer resources. This ability to reap the benefits of cloud-based processes with minimal programming resources will help many large companies during a downturn.
How do these modernized processes improve manual systems, or even digital systems that don’t offer mobility or cloud-based access? Here’s a real-world example. A large company in an industrial environment wanted to move to a cloud-based inventory management system. The reason is that forklift operators had to manually carry paper charts and enter the information through crowded (and sometimes physically dangerous) warehouses. at your workstation. The company was able to deploy a modern cloud-based application that allows forklift operators to scan, view and modify data via their mobile her application without ever stepping out of the forklift. The data was then displayed to all other authorized employees via an Internet connection, if desired.
Similarly, a food distribution company with national distribution wanted to collect detailed data on how long and at what temperature packaged food was frozen in transit. A supply chain technology provider has proposed a phone-based app that can communicate with sensors in frozen packages. This app uploads data to the driver’s app. These apps had the advantage of working even when the shipment passed through areas with no connectivity. When the driver returns to an area with internet connectivity, the data is reliably relayed back to headquarters. This data can be used to improve quality control and reduce spoilage.
These customized apps were designed through efficient low-code processes, increasing productivity, streamlining workflows, gathering critical information, and/or mitigating safety risks. And such low-code projects can be accomplished at a fraction of the cost, time, and disruption to existing networks required for traditional integration.
Fears of an imminent recession wreak havoc on some businesses, while others see it as an opportunity. Historically, many organizations have used recessions as an opportunity to make long-term investments. Difficult times often force managers to make more careful decisions. The ability to create supply chain resilience through capable, cost-effective, and customized low-code solutions can deliver significant modernization benefits, even in the midst of an uncertain economy.
Vaidya Aiyer is the CEO of Pillir.
