The supply chain crisis that swept the world this past year has gone unnoticed by no one, and record-breaking shipping costs and delivery delays have reached top-tier headlines. However, current supply chain obstacles are not a joking matter for the businesses they have impacted, and the challenges are piling up. Costs are soaring, political tensions are omnipresent, and delays are growing longer. This level of disruption is here to stay. Kornit Digital has highlighted some threats and plans for 2022 Kornit is a global digital printing company with 500+ employees. Kornit serves over 1,400 customers worldwide, from small businesses to industrial high-production companies.
The threats for 2022 are:
- Manufacturing uncertainty
- Inflation
- Consumer expectations
- Labor shortages
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the manufacturing sector had felt this impact when about 1.4 million U.S. manufacturing jobs were lost. The industry is urgently seeking more workers to fill those positions (and then some). To make matters worse, the American Trucking Association predicts the driver shortage will hit a record 80,000 drivers by the end of 2021.
Planning for disruption in 2022
To tackle these threats head-on and reduce friction within the supply chain, organizations need to adopt on-demand models with onshore production to protect their operations preemptively. This shortens the length of the supply chain, reducing shipping and transportation costs and creating a more efficient alignment between supply and demand, which speaks directly to the consumer demand for more sustainable products. Moving production closer to the consumer also allows brands to streamline the “last mile” so they can meet shipping expectations more easily.
Adopting modern technology can bring this kind of approach to life, but it can also attract new talent to bridge the labor gap. Survey results on The State of Technology for the Deskless Workforce – many of those in the industrial sector – showed that more than 60% of deskless workers were unsatisfied or sensed room for improvement in the technology they use to perform their jobs. Organizations address and provide their workforce with the tools and technology they need to do their jobs well and continuously learn and innovate within their fields.
Finally, brands must strengthen relationships with their suppliers and providers to build a more reliable network for when things go wrong. This should always be a priority, but as 2022 approaches, it will be a necessity.
