According to the United States Chamber of Commerce, the rise and evolution of technology have rendered many aspects of the nation’s supply chains as outdated, especially where shopping and delivery is concerned.
They cited a BRP study that found 51 percent of retailers offered same day delivery, in a world where consumers are increasingly demanding — and frequently groomed to demand — immediacy for their concerns. Supply chains make this possible, but to do so, they need to navigate through an aging infrastructure. This fact prompted the Chamber to turn to industry leaders for possible ways forward.
One example came from Bernhard Kindelbacher, head of the Americas section of Lufthansa Cargo.
“Our infrastructure should enable projects at airports to facilitate a collaborative and seamless process from when the truck approaches the airport to the departure of the airplane – using data and digitization will help enable this process saving time, money and emission,” Kindelbacher said.
Darrell Wilson, assistant vice president of government relations for Norfolk Southern, also spoke to the outdated challenges in an evolving industry.
“For companies to maintain a competitive advantage in the 21st Century supply chain, a shift in our transportation mindset is necessary – shippers, manufacturers and consumers alike require increased speed, on-time performance, and delivery,” Wilson said. “We must stop viewing infrastructure as just roads, bridges, terminals, and rail. Planners must expand their use of public-private partnerships that encourage modal cooperation and increased reliance on new technologies, and service innovations that broaden supply chain capabilities.”
At a certain point, technological innovation becomes dependent upon what the supply chain can provide. Without change, the Chamber said, U.S. companies will begin to fall behind international competitors.