Source: What does 2020 hold for logistics leaders? (DC Velocity)
The “Amazon effect”, e-commerce boom, and labor crunch made 2019 a complex year for warehouse operations. DC Velocity analyzed the top trends of 2020, and we made a list of them here. Find out how operations leaders are reacting in 2020, and where the trends are going.
- The ongoing labor shortage is the biggest and most sweeping trend of 2020.
- Shoppers will continue to want cheaper and faster home delivery, making complex order fulfillment the new normal.
- E-Commerce growth will continue, despite general manufacturing slow-down. Fulfillment operations will accept this consumer reality and adapt.
- Talent shortage will drive companies to seek automation, but the robots will supplement human labor, as opposed to replacing it.
- Analytics will be increasingly used to optimize storage, increase capacity, and cut work order processing
- As operations feel the pressure and the benefits of digital transformation, most will need to manage hybrid environments – for at least another decade. Cloud and on-premise will co-exist.
- Warehouses will attract and retain talent by offering more flexible schedules.
- Traditional HR practices for talent will be re-thought as competition will continue to be fierce for warehouse talent.
- The gig economy will continue to drive worker’s desire for flexibility in their jobs and lives.
- Pay, flexibility, and perks will drive worker’s career decisions, but also the opportunity for “upskilling”.
- Objective job performance data will make hiring more effective and eliminate inherent biases such as appearance.
