Report: Pandemic spurs evolution in logistics planning strategy

Research on lessons learned from the pandemic continues to emphasize the need for better planning strategies to avoid supply chain disruptions. A report from Reuters Events and technology provider Dassault Systèmes, released this month, sheds light on some of the key problems facing retail and supply chain professionals as they prepare to meet changing market demands. 

Among the findings: 

• Inaccurate forecasting is contributing to increased costs in planning processes, with 17% of organizations reporting that planning is often at odds with possible execution.

• 43% of respondents said their current planning systems were not well integrated with other systems, “exposing an inefficiency in operations where improvement is needed,” the researchers wrote.

• Respondents identified cost (28%) and accuracy (26%) as the most important aspects of their logistics partnerships. 

Reuters Events and Dassault Systemes surveyed 400 retail, supply chain, logistics, and technology executives from around the world for their Retail Supply Chain & Logistics Planning Report 2021. The report “assesses the limitations of outdated planning models and highlights the changes that businesses must make to their digital and operational infrastructures to maximize planning accuracy and efficiency,” according to the research.

The findings reveal a need for companies to focus on and invest in optimization tools that can help them create more efficient, accurate logistics strategies, the authors said.

“In order to prepare your supply chain for future disruptions and ever-changing consumer demands, you have to start embracing optimization technology,” according to the report.