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Part 2 covers the “Further Complexity and Challenges” of supply chains, and you explore how the last 50 years have added even more complexity. This part covers the rising demand for goods and the increasing consumer expectations for fast, perfect delivery services.

The value of people in the supply chain cannot be overlooked. But where does that leave us as many new supply chain pros, raised on communication skills driven by little keyboards, enter the workforce and supplant today’s practitioners? Here’s some unsolicited and perhaps unwelcome advice. 

Today’s book explains why supply chains are complicated to operate (and getting more challenging!). Fortunately, future managers can employ a combination of suitably educated employees and digital technology to manage ever-higher complexity successfully. People and companies can use digital technologies to make themselves more efficient and more effective in addressing the expanding and changing needs of the planet.

In this pilot episode of Freight Expectations, a Freight Buyers’ Club podcast which will be launched in 2024, host Mike King speaks to one of the world’s foremost authors and thought leaders on logistics technology and the future of supply chains. Professor Yossi Sheffi is the current Director of the Center for Transportation & Logistics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the author of a new book, “The Magic Conveyor Belt: Supply Chains, AI, and the Future of Work”.

Read about recent publications by MIT Faculty/Professors. 

Sheffi, who recently published a book on the topic, “The Magic Conveyor Belt: Supply Chains, AI, and the Future of Work,” offered his insights during his keynote address at the recent Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM) conference in Louisville earlier this month. The MIT professor and director of the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics, enthralled the audience at the ASCM conference with his views of technology, AI, and the future of work.

Supply chains play a key role in determining the impact of a product, as they encompass every stage of its life, from the sourcing of raw material to its end-of-life disposal.

Businesses are being impacted by a global skills shortage that is hampering manufacturing output and service delivery. In addition, the costs of producing materials, manufacturing goods, and providing services is rising due to labor costs. For small to medium enterprises, this means margins may be squeezed to the point to where they can no longer compete in today’s hyper-competitive global marketplace. AI, robotics, digital transactions, and related automation provide the means for SMEs to enhance and build capabilities cost-effectively.

Emerj Senior Editor Matthew DeMello recently sat down with Dr. Yossi Sheffi of MIT on Emerj’s ‘AI in Business’ podcast to discuss how AI can solve logistical challenges. In their 30-minute interview, the pair discuss challenges in logistics and manufacturing, such as lack of data due to visibility in supply chains and trust issues as a hurdle to accepting automation. 

In Episode 77, Dr. Yossi Sheffi, iconic thought leader and professor at MIT, innovator, and author of a new book ‘ The Magic Conveyor Belt’ chats with host Sheri Hinish about the future of supply chain including the people, exponential technology, and disruptive themes that will shape the future of the profession. This book offers explanations to pressing supply chain topics and much more, with historical perspectives and modern examples.