Many of today’s manufacturing trends are in line with the industry’s goals to improve processes, create more efficiency, and meet consumer demand.

The manufacturing industry has seen challenges, from changes in the way people work to the rapid growth in demand, with many of these challenges accelerated by the recent covid-19 pandemic.

So, what evolutions and challenges are the manufacturing industry currently facing? Let’s dive into the latest manufacturing trends.

WHAT ARE THE LATEST TRENDS IN MANUFACTURING?

• DIFFICULTY FINDING LABOR
• DIVERSIFYING WORKFORCE
• TECHNOLOGY IS TAKING OVER
• INCREASING CYBERSECURITY
• CARBON NEUTRALITY
• BUILDING RESILIENT SUPPLY CHAINS

DIFFICULTY FINDING LABOR

Manufacturers are still struggling to find labor, with a recent Deloitte survey estimating that the manufacturing sector will be short 2.1 million skilled workers by 2030. It’s difficult for manufacturers to fill open positions, with respondents claiming it is 36 percent more difficult to recruit than in 2018.

To combat the shortage, manufacturers are looking for ways to recruit and retain skilled talent, by raising wages and reskilling current talent to meet company needs. According to the Manufacturing Institute, young employees are attracted to companies that look to train and invest in them. 70 percent of manufacturing workers under 25 said they will stick with an employer because of these opportunities to grow.

Additionally, technology is advancing and should help manufacturers combat their labor challenges. With tools like artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) becoming more accessible, companies should be able to become more efficient and able to produce more with fewer people.

DIVERSIFYING WORKFORCE

Diversifying the workforce is one of the growing manufacturing trends because the industry has held a reputation for being a male-dominated industry. According to a study by the Manufacturing Institute, less than 30 percent of manufacturing workers are women. So, in 2021, the Building Economic Strength Through Manufacturing Act was passed. This bill seeks to double the number of women-owned and minority-owned manufacturers.

According to Glassdoor, when applying for jobs, 76 percent of applicants look for company diversity. Diversifying the workforce is a trend that goes in hand with employee recruiting. It creates opportunities for new talent and can help make operations more resilient.

TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING THE INDUSTRY

Technology changing the industry has been and will be a manufacturing trend for some time. Technology is improving, becoming more accessible, and showing its benefits, so many manufacturers are investing in it more. Manufacturers need technology to keep up with the challenges of increased demand while facing a labor shortage.

Some technology tools companies are using include AI, automation, sensors, IoT, robotics, predictive maintenance, and remote monitoring. These tools help manufacturers with the manual and repetitive tasks that they struggle to find the labor for. In addition, companies are evaluating their operations to make the best use of technology and people.

Frontline workers will likely expand their roles to take on new responsibilities. As technology automates processes, workers will need to use more communication, collaboration, and analytical skills. Technology will also offer more flexibility and safety for frontline workers, further helping with employee recruiting and retention.

Some manufacturers are even pushing the limit and testing our “dark factories”. These are fully automated factories without any human workers on site.

Industry 4.0 is what many refer to as this trend of technology. It’s a shortened term for what is being called the fourth industrial revolution. Industry 4.0 technologies, such as the above examples, can raise productivity by 40 percent.

INCREASING CYBERSECURITY

As technology use increases and manufacturing processes get more connected and complex, a growing challenge is cybersecurity. In 2021, manufacturing was the industry that suffered the most cyberattacks, according to IBM’s X-Force Threat Intelligence Index. In fact, according to a survey by Omdia, the increasing risk of cyber attacks are one of the main challenges slowing down the implementation of more analytics, automation, and AI in manufacturing.

Because of its increased risk for cyber attacks compared to any other industry, manufacturing companies are investing more in the cybersecurity strategies and monitoring, implementing the use of multi-factor authentication, issuing employee training on cybersecurity, and building recovery plans to be prepared should any attacks take place.

CARBON NEUTRALITY

Combatting climate change is a priority on everyone’s mind and the manufacturing industry is no exception. The manufacturing industry produces almost a quarter of global greenhouse emissions. However, with the government pushing industries towards sustainability, manufacturing companies are rethinking their operations.

One manufacturing trend is carbon neutrality. Carbon neutral is when a company removes the same amount of carbon dioxide it emits into the atmosphere.

Manufacturing companies can become carbon neutral by purchasing carbon offsets. An example of this would be a company sponsoring a solar energy farm or a project for reforestation.

BUILDING SUPPLY CHAIN RESILIENCE

Since the start of the covid-19 pandemic and the supply chain bottlenecks we continue to face, supply chain resilience remains a top manufacturing trend.

Supply chain bottlenecks like the covid-19 pandemic, high container costs and delays, severe weather, protests, and new regulations are a few of the disruptions that have shed light on manufacturers’ fragile supply chains.

Manufacturers continue to look for more resilience to keep up with consumer demand despite these challenges.

Improving communications with supply chain partners, onshoring or reshoring, and investing in supply chain technology are some of the ways manufacturers are making their supply chains more stable.

STAY AHEAD OF MANUFACTURING TRENDS

Whether you know the latest manufacturing trends are or not, having an expert on your side is one easy way to stay ahead. And that’s just what Trinity Logistics aims to be.

Yes, our primary focus is as your logistics partner, but our People-Centric culture means we’re more than that. As a business relationship, we’re invested in your company’s success. We stay knowledgeable on what’s going on in your industry to help keep you updated. And we stand at the ready to offer your business any logistics support and expertise that you need.

Don’t miss your opportunity to gain a business relationship that stays on top of your industry’s trends and is people focused. Let’s get connected.

I’m sure you’ve heard the term TMS before in logistics, but what does it stand for? The term TMS is short for Transportation Management System. The reason you’ve probably heard that term TMS is that it is the most common and effective way for shippers to manage their logistics in one place. This technology allows companies to manage their transportation in one place. Transportation Management software offers you a way to view insightful data, gain visibility, and better manage all the moving parts in the shipping process. While a TMS might seem daunting and expensive, it’s become an essential tool for businesses to be successful.  

Who uses Transportation Management Software? 

If you have a business in which you regularly need to ship, move, and receive goods on a regular basis then a TMS is a technology you should consider. Many companies use a TMS, such as manufacturers, distributors, e-commerce companies, retail businesses, and companies that provide logistics services (like us). A TMS is best suited for companies that spend more than $1 million in freight, use an array of transportation modes, have several locations, get a majority of your freight via the spot market, or manage most of your data through Excel spreadsheets.  

Why You Need Transportation Management Software 

Transportation management affects every part of your logistics process, from planning to procurement and more. It’s a large piece of the logistics puzzle. If you’re not using a TMS, what are those processes? Are you using programs like Excel and Outlook to manage your shipments? How do you gather and view data? How much visibility do you have into your logistics? Simply put, a TMS makes your transportation easier on you, enabling you to serve your customers better. To give you a better idea of how it helps, let’s look at the benefits.  

What are the Benefits of Transportation Management Software?  

There are so many benefits to using a TMS. Through a TMS, you can automate and optimize your processes, gain visibility into your logistics, and view valuable data.  

Automation 

A TMS allows your company to eliminate your manual transportation processes. A TMS offers you automation with your load planning and execution through its advanced algorithms. With this, it can optimize each shipment, allows freight tracking by using real-time updates, payment processes are simplifying and streamlining invoices are audited, and develops reports through its in-depth data collecting.  

Optimization 

A TMS is a perfect resource if you’re looking for your logistics to be more efficient and optimized. For one example, a TMS can analyze many batch shipments based on various sophisticated parameters and can determine the most cost-effective route plan for your shipment. A TMS can make recommendations for you on different factors like least-cost mode analysis, freight consolidation options, and continuous move opportunities. It can also account for many other factors, including your due dates, mileage, vehicle weight, stops during transit, and out-of-route parameters. The optimization engine of the TMS allows for dynamic, static, and closed-loop routing. 

Visibility 

Real-time visibility of your logistics data and activity are the primary value drivers for companies implementing a TMS.  A TMS can help you view data from internal systems, vendor systems, and get data that may not have been accessible before. Along with collecting data, visibility from a TMS allows your stakeholders access to update their part of a shipment and receive their own real-time. A TMS will essentially act as a virtual control tower for all your logistics updates and communications. Visibility has gone from being an optional benefit to a necessary one in logistics. Using a TMS can change visibility from being a challenge to a strength for your business. 

Reporting 

The reporting offered by a TMS is another huge value to companies. Access to data is becoming more of a necessity for supply chains, but it can be hard to gather it all. Most of the time it’s spread out among various platforms – e-mails, portals, and laptops. A TMS makes it easier for you to compile and view your data through reporting. A TMS has multiple options and breakdowns to give you the best analysis of your data. TMS reporting can provide you with insight into your freight volumes, lane analysis, freight spend, RFP analysis, and so many more. You can dive deep into your data, breaking it down further by load route, price, and even state-by-state to see your load count and total spend as well. A TMS can also give you monthly metric reports, world reports, and various graphs and breakdowns to help you interpret your data for better performance.  

What Does Trinity Logistics Offer in Transportation Management Software?  

There are many different routes you can take in acquiring transportation management software. Simply put, you can choose to purchase transportation management software directly through a vendor or work with a logistics provider, such as Trinity, that offers it as a cloud-based service.  

A Trinity, we understand everyone’s needs are different, which is why we offer a highly configurable system. We offer you three main options to start with: software as a service (Saas), a managed TMS, or an integrated outsource TMS. If none of those options quite fit what you need, we can further customize your solution so you get exactly what you’re looking for.   

No matter your specific needs, you’ll gain access to our best-in-class technology backed by superusers with logistics expertise. Through our People-Centric service, you’ll gain valuable insight and support in your logistics management.   

Looking to learn more about what TMS solutions Trinity can offer you?  

Looking FOR TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY BUT NOT A FULL TMS? 

We understand committing to a TMS is a big change, especially if you have no experience with one. That’s why we now offer you our Customer Portal, exclusively available for shippers working with Trinity. There’s no commitment or additional charges and you’ll get to experience a sample of our transportation technology. Track your shipments, request quotes, view and pay your invoices online – all in one place.   

Wait, I Still Need More Information on Transportation Management Software..  

We have plenty more educational resources for you to learn about a TMS.   

Author: Turner Lee

The chemical industry adheres to strict regulations with their products. With those regulations can come recalls and audits. To stay ahead of those headaches, traceability is needed in the supply chain for chemical manufacturers. Gaining traceability can help prevent possible recalls and offer preparedness for audits, while bringing many other benefits.

Shared Data

To get the greatest benefit from supply chain traceability, data needs to be easily shared across supply chain partners. The use of technology for end-to-end supply chain traceability is vital for recording and exchanging data with all. Having transparency amongst all supply chain partners brings accountability and trust.

Replace Manual Processes

Even today, a lot of traceability processes are still manual. It often takes contacting many individuals through phone or email to get the information you need. Using technology for traceability in the supply chain helps eliminate those manual processes. With current technology, you can find the information you need in minutes with one application.

Improve Customer Service

With all supply chain partners having transparency, there is great potential for customer service to be improved. Distributors can better manage their delivery times, improving communication and customer satisfaction. Retailers can provide consumers with access to product information, building loyalty and relationships. Shippers can see shipment activity and schedule heavy or light volumes, creating happier transportation partners. From end to end of the chain, it improves consumer satisfaction.

Quick Problem Solving

Traceability allows you to be more proactive should you need to cancel an order, stop a production cycle, have products re-inspected, etc. It gives you the opportunity to quickly detect problems and deliver greater service by providing solutions and visible communication right away.

Better Stock Management

Easily meet customer demand by knowing what is going on within your supply chain. Tracking and tracing shipments and orders leads to more efficient stock management. With better management brings the potential for costs savings.

Traceability With TMS

Transportation Management Systems (TMS) are one of the technologies available to gain traceability in your supply chain. They allow function and resources for all supply chain stakeholders. To reduce cost, working with a third-party logistics (3PL), such as Trinity Logistics, can give you access to their TMS technology, as well as their experience in supply chain solutions.

Looking to learn more about TMS? Click here to read our Guide on TMS.

Creating a connected supply chain adds value and strengthens those relationships with all stakeholders. It makes a company more desirable to work with and to buy from. The smallest of details can make a difference in the success of a company. Traceability is one of those finer details in your chemical supply chain that you can’t be without.

If you’re ready to make a move towards having traceability in your supply chain, connect with us and find your solution.