The Future of Supply Chain Automation

12.09.
2020 Infographic: The Future of Supply Chain Automation
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The Future of Supply Chain Automation

Published 4 months ago on May 5, 2020
By Dorothy Neufeld
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/supply-chains-automation-future/ 1/15
12.09.2020 Infographic: The Future of Supply Chain Automation
The Future of Supply Chain Automation SUBSC

As Amazon continues to set the bar for efficiency by integrating an astounding spectrum of Join the 200,000+ subscr
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automation technology, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that traditional supply chain models
are ripe for disruption. Email address
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For this reason, companies around the world are now rethinking their warehouse and
distribution systems, with automation taking center stage. Sign up
Today’s infographic from Raconteur highlights the state of automation across global supply
chains, while also providing an outlook for future investment.
Long Time Coming

Let’s start by taking a look at what supply chain technologies are priorities for global industry
investment in the first place:
Rank
 Technology  % of Companies* Investing in Tech 
#1 Warehouse automation 55%
#2 Predictive analytics 47%
#3 Internet of things 41%
#4 Cloud logistics 40%
#5 Artificial intelligence 28%
Showing 1 to 5 of 15 entries  Previous Next 

 
*Based on survey of supply chain professionals in retail, manufacturing, and logistics fields
As seen above, warehouse automation has already received more investment (55%) than any
other supply chain technology on the list, as companies aim to cut delivery times and improve
overall margins.
Interestingly, other areas receiving significant investment—such as predictive analytics, internet

of things, or artificial intelligence—are technologies that could integrate well into the
optimization of supply chain automation as well.
Smoothing the Transition

While fully automated supply chains in most industries may still be a few years away, here is how
companies are investing in an automated future today:
Timeline For Acquiring New Automation Tech % of Warehouse Managers Surveyed
Already have 23%
Have, looking to upgrade 8%
Within 12 months 10%
One to three years 21%
Three to five years 8%
Over five years 3%
Not looking 26%
According to the above data, over 70% have already integrated automation technology, or are
planning to within the next five years. On the flip side, over a quarter of warehouse managers are
not currently looking to integrate any new automation tech into their operations at all.
Adoption Rates and Growth

As supply chain automation gains momentum and industry acceptance, individual processes will
have varying adoption rates.
Take order fulfillment, for instance. Here, only 4% of current operations are highly automated
according to a recent survey from Peerless Research Group:
Order Fulfillment Operations (Picking and Packaging) Percentage of Respondents
Highly automated 4%
A mix of automated and manual processes 42%
Mostly or all manual 49%
Not applicable 5%
Meanwhile, 49% of operations were primarily manual, illustrating potential for growth in this
particular area.
It’s worth noting that other individual supply chain components, such as conveyor belts, storage,
automated guided vehicles, and shuttle systems, will all have differing trajectories for automation
and growth.
Post-COVID Supply Chains

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that complex supply chains can become fragile under the
right circumstances.
As supply chains see increased rates of automation and data collection becomes more integrated
into these processes, it’s possible that future risks embedded in these systems could be mitigated.
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Ranked: The Most Popular Websites

Since 1993
This animation provides an interesting overview of the websites with the highest traffic
over the last few decades, and how the rankings have changed.
Published 2 weeks ago on August 31, 2020

By Carmen Ang 
The Most Popular Websites Since 1993
The internet has become an increasingly important part of our everyday lives.
While it’s hard to imagine modern life without Google or YouTube, it’s interesting to
reflect on how much the web has changed over the last few decades.
This animation by Captain Gizmo provides a historical rundown of the most popular
websites since 1993, showing how much the internet has evolved since the early ’90s.
The Top Websites

While the web has changed drastically over the years, the top-ranking websites have
remained relatively consistent. Here’s a look at the websites with the most traffic since
1993, and when each site held the number one
CONTINUE spot:
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Visualizing the Social Media Universe in

2020
Nearly half the world has tapped into the social media universe. Monthly Active Users
(MAUs) quantifies the success of these giant platforms.
Published 2 weeks ago on August 28, 2020

By Aran Ali 
Visualizing the Social Media Universe in 2020
Social media has seeped into virtually all aspects of modern life. The vast social media
universe collectively now holds 3.8 billion users, representing roughly 50% of the
global population.
With an additional billion internet users projected to come online in the coming years,
it’s possible that the social media universe could expand even further.
How the Networks Stack Up

To begin, let’s take a look at how social networks compare in terms of monthly active
users (MAUs)—an industry metric widely used to gauge the success of these platforms.
CONTINUE READING
Rank Social Network MAUs In Millions Country of Origin
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12.09.

2020 Infographic: The Future of Supply Chain Automation

The Future of Supply Chain Automation

The Future of Supply Chain Automation SUBSC

Your email address

Long Time Coming

#1 Warehouse automation 55%

#2 Predictive analytics 47%

#3 Internet of things 41%

#4 Cloud logistics 40%

#5 Artificial intelligence 28%

Showing 1 to 5 of 15 entries  Previous Next 

Interestingly, other areas receiving significant investment—such as predictive analytics, internet

Smoothing the Transition

Timeline For Acquiring New Automation Tech % of Warehouse Managers Surveyed

Already have 23%

Have, looking to upgrade 8%

Within 12 months 10%

One to three years 21%

Three to five years 8%

Over five years 3%

Not looking 26%

Adoption Rates and Growth

Order Fulfillment Operations (Picking and Packaging) Percentage of Respondents

A mix of automated and manual processes 42%

Mostly or all manual 49%

Post-COVID Supply Chains

Get your mind blown on a daily basis:

Sign up for free

RELATED TOPICS: # INVESTMENT # TECH # AMAZON # SUPPLY CHAIN # FUTURE OF WORK

DON'T MISS UP NEXT

YOU MAY LIKE

Ranked: The Most Popular Websites

Published 2 weeks ago on August 31, 2020

The Most Popular Websites Since 1993

The Top Websites

Visualizing the Social Media Universe in

Published 2 weeks ago on August 28, 2020

Visualizing the Social Media Universe in 2020

How the Networks Stack Up

Copyright © 2020 Visual Capitalist

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