Dark Factories and the Future of Supply Chain

Rethinking Supply Chain

In this episode of Rethinking Supply Chain, Venzee CEO, John Abrams, and Diana Chen delve more deeply into the future of supply chain management. In a previous episode, John expressed his frustration with how the supply chain is still operating as it has for the past five decades, and this episode counters that bleakness with a more positive outlook on where he thinks things are heading.

John introduces a group called the Futurists that leans into supply chain management and consults companies to help them integrate the Internet of Things (IoT) into their operations. The Futurists are explaining how IoT allows automation across all links in the supply chain, improving efficiency.

People studying the future of supply chain management are focusing their research on demand patterns, QR codes, dark factories, radio frequency identification (RFID), swarm robotics, and real time transportation visibility. John gets into some of the details of dark factories -- factories that are machine-based that don’t need lighting. He explains how factories operating with automation can better operate at their ideal capacity based on demand patterns.

John ends on a high note with an optimistic feeling of hope that working culture in the United States will embrace the new trends in supply chain logistics. While the U.S. labor culture is somewhat behind other countries when it comes to supply chain automation, there are people who are working to change attitudes and increase efficiency at home.