active supply chain management

active supply chain management

A supply chain includes all the activities that are involved in getting a final product from raw material to the end-user customer. Supply chain takes place in different stages, which can either be upstream or downstream. Upstream are operations which happen for the raw materials to reach to an organization. These operations include the transport of raw materials and their supply. Downstream processes are activities that usually take place for a final product to reach a customer. Generally, the main stages in the supply chain are raw materials supply, manufacture, warehousing, and distribution to the consumers. A delay in one step affects the flow of the goods to the consumer. This may result in fluctuations of prices in the market. Inconsistency of the supply chain of a product can affect a company negatively as some customers might find options in the market. This makes it necessary for companies to ensure that they have active supply chain management.

The innovation of robots has dramatically improved supply chain at different stages. Today, there is an excellent demand for the invention and use of robots by companies because of their importance and efficiency. The first robot was created in 1957 by George Devol and sold to General Motors in 1962 and used to lift pieces of hot metal from die casting machines at the Inland Fisher Guide Plant. Since its invention, there have been continuous advancement and innovation of other robots. Today, some of the essential activities in the supply chain like manufacturing, warehousing, distribution or logistics. The introductions of new technology, such as Artificial Intelligence and cognition, have greatly improved the innovation of robots. The robots can work on their own without control by people and can also work in the same working area with people without any harm.

Manufacturing is a crucial stage of the supply chain. Production includes the conversion of raw materials into the final product ready for customers. Before the invention of robots, human labour was highly depended on in the manufacturing industry. However, human work has many limitations which can affect the excellent flow of goods in the market. First, due to human nature, man can get fatigued. This makes the production rate to slow down to go down as a person continues to work. As a result, the quantity of end products is expected to reduce with time as the level tiredness increases. In most organizations, employees even go for breaks for hours which can be counted as wasted time. Also, human labour records a lot of errors in the duties that they do in the manufacturing sector. This affects the quality of the final product, and some goods go into waste which in the further end affects the efficiency or agility of assets. Robots have greatly improved the manufacturing sector because of they are more advantageous than human labour. First, robots are not subject to fatigue. This makes them work for long hours producing consistency number of products. For instance, if a robot is programmed to manufacture 1000 items in an hour, the amount will be consistency, unlike human labour which will keep the number reducing due to tiredness. Second, robots can work in adverse environments which pose dangers to human labour. Some activities are carried under very temperatures, and it becomes risky for human employees to work under such conditions while robots can comfortably work in such situations. As a result, the use of robots in production enables an organization to meet the demand by customers and ensures that there is sufficient flow of goods to the market.

Many companies are investing in robotics as a source of labour in the production sector than in personal work. This is due to the impact that robots have to ensure there is a consistent flow of goods. The availability of robots to perform different manufacturing duties has also enticed organizations to buy them. They have taken over in most of the production industries ranging from food and engineering, among others. McDonald’s, KFC and Panera are companies in the food sector that use robotic arms for cooking because they are more accurate and faster than human beings. According, to McDonald’s reports, the robotic arm can do all work done by chefs within a short time and thus being able to supply their high customers’ demands. Robotics has also become famous in the vehicle manufacturing industry. The robots can complete tasks such as welding and painting, as well as assembling car parts. For instance, the robotic arm is used in the assembling chamber. It has been praised due to its accuracy and ability to complete tasks within a short period.

Robots have become essential machines used in the warehousing stage of the supply chain. Everyday activities completed in warehousing include sorting, packaging and arrangement of goods. Some of these activities are complicated and are hard to perform. For instance, some loads are heavy and cannot be moved by humans from one place to another. However, with the availability of robots, the items can be run with much ease, thus saving time. The invention of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) was a significant boost to the movement of goods from one part to another in the warehouse. The AGVs use magnetic stripes or tracks incorporated in the warehouse. Other AGVs are created with scanners and sensors that allow them to detect temperatures and textures in the warehouse. The AGVs are loaded with the warehouse map and different parts of the warehouse where various items are stored. Either automated or augmented, the robots are able to deliver items within the warehouse effectively accurately. Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) are another type of robots used in the warehousing for providing inventories. Though they are similar to AGVs, AMRs do not use tracks or routes, but they recognize the warehouse through the use of onboard sensors, maps and computers. These robots are capable of scanning the environment to avoid obstacles leading to accidents and damage to goods. These are some of the errors that human labour is exposed to in the warehouse, attracting to lose for the company.

Robots in the warehouse are capable of multifunctioning, and thus they can complete different tasks within a short period. AMRs move items from one place to another, but they can also be used for picking and sorting items in the warehouse. This is advantageous as it reduces purchasing cost as a company can buy few robots to be performing different activities in the warehouse. Robots are capable of performing some tedious activities like counting inventory within short periods. Most warehouses take stock counting monthly or after several months because it is an easy task and it takes a lot of time. However, Tagvurveyor, a counting robot has RFID sensors and scanners which enable it to scan and count inventory within a short period. This discourages theft and miscalculations helping the warehouse management to conduct its activities with efficiency.

The use of robotic drones to deliver goods to customers’ doorstep was a significant boost in the supply chain. The idea was introduced by Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon in 2013, but it has not become active. The drone delivery will play a significance role in the supply chain. The drones are controlled by individuals through the use of computer and maps of towns can be programmed to facilitate accurate delivery. The drones would take little time for delivery compared to standard means of transportation. The drones will not experience traffic jams and long roads as they would fly through the shortest programmed route. There are several limitations which may indicate why Amazon has not yet implemented aerial drone delivery to doorsteps. First, drones cannot only deliver light items and thus, but they also cannot be used to transport bulky goods. Naturally, drones are small in size and light, and therefore they cannot be loaded with bulky goods because they won’t fly. Second, it is insecure as the drones can be attacked by individuals and steals the items. Third, the drones can only deliver items to distance close to the warehouses or stores. Despite these challenges, with the advancing technology, I believe aerial drone delivery will be possible in the next ten years. Considering that eCommerce is taking over the traditional stores, people will be able to order and receive items at their doorsteps without a struggle. The use of robotic vehicles will also boost the supply chain in the distribution of goods from one place to another. In the next ten years, as many roboticists are arguing, the roads will be filled with driverless vehicles. Driverless vehicles will be more efficient since they will not be exposed to errors and careless driving.

As observed above, every process that is completed by robotics proves to be essential in the supply chain in one way or another. Robots complete their tasks within short periods, thus saving time for other jobs. Though some robots are have specialized roles, other robotics are capable of completing different tasks as programmed. Robotics rarely commits errors or accidents in their duties compared to human labour, in which people are prone to committing mistakes. Generally, this affects the quality of products as well as contributing to the spoilage of goods. Robots are cost-effective, as they have a low maintenance cost, compared to human labour which requires regular salary and other benefits. Robots ensure that there is always a good flow of goods in the supply chain, and thus, they help companies in meeting client demands. This explains why many companies are incorporating robots in their activities or even investing large sums of money towards the invention of robots. Technology advancements are happening every day. In the next ten years, I believe robots will have taken over most of the duties that being done today by a human in different stages of the supply chain.