**London**: Expert insights reveal that by 2025, supply chains will increasingly rely on democratized digitization, open-source ERP systems, and a new framework for measuring ERP value, enabling businesses to enhance efficiency, transparency, and responsiveness in a dynamic marketplace.
Supply chains have experienced significant transformations over the past five years, with a trend towards greater efficiency, transparency, and resiliency becoming increasingly vital. According to insights from SupplyChainBrain, three key trends are expected to shape supply chains by 2025.
First, the democratization of digitization is revolutionising access to advanced supply chain technologies. Historically, such technologies were the domain of large corporations with substantial IT budgets, but this landscape is now changing. Data from cloud-based platforms, open-source applications, and artificial intelligence-driven analytics enable companies across all sizes to participate in digitisation. This shift allows businesses, previously reliant on outdated and fragmented systems, to harness real-time data-sharing, predictive analytics, and automation in their daily operations. As a result, supply chains are becoming more connected, transparent, and responsive, allowing firms to react more swiftly to disruptions and ensuring the availability of products precisely where and when they are required.
The second trend involves the emergence of open-source enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Traditional ERPs have long been foundational to supply chain management, yet they often come with significant costs, restrictive licensing, and limited flexibility. As businesses seek more autonomy over their data and operations, open-source ERPs provide an alternative solution. These platforms empower companies to build and customise their systems according to their specific needs, without being constrained by a single vendor. As a consequence, businesses can design ERP systems that better align with their organisational goals while facilitating seamless integration with other digital tools, such as AI forecasting, blockchain for traceability, and Internet of Things (IoT) enabled asset tracking.
Lastly, the measurement of ERP value is evolving, shifting from a focus on internal efficiency to how well these systems integrate with broader supply networks. In past evaluations, ERP systems were assessed based on their ability to automate processes or reduce errors. However, modern supply chains require a more comprehensive evaluation framework. By 2025, organisations are expected to prioritise ERP investments on the basis of their ability to facilitate real-time communication across suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and partners. This seamless flow of information can lead to improved forecasting, quicker response times, and enhanced inventory management, thereby allowing businesses to swiftly adapt to disruptions such as raw material shortages or shifts in demand.
As these trends unfold, a significant evolution in supply chain technology is anticipated, prompting businesses to rethink collaboration, operations, and innovation. By positioning digitisation as a core element of strategy rather than a secondary consideration, companies are likely to maintain a competitive edge in an increasingly dynamic marketplace. Shabbir Dahod, president and chief executive officer of TraceLink, provided these insights, illustrating the scope and necessity of these developments in supply chain management.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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