Input Stories

At the NAM, we’re examining some of the top trends that are shaping manufacturing this year, and offering the resources you need to take action.

Today, we’re taking a look at the industry’s continuing focus on supply chain resiliency—and what manufacturers can do to keep their business moving.

Investing in digital tools: Already, nearly three-quarters of supply chain and operations executives are planning to use GenAI to move toward more resilient autonomous supply chains.

• Tools like this—along with other digital technologies—can help improve supply chain resiliency, visibility, planning, agility and predictability, and enable faster or autonomous responses to disruption.

Enhancing data and analytics: Companies need to invest in technologies that provide real-time insights into the movement of goods, the status of inventory and the health of supplier networks. Increased transparency, coupled with advanced digital tools, can help manufacturers ensure continuity and avoid disruptions.

Incorporating sustainability: Sustainable supply chains are more resilient. Manufacturers can examine their operations to find areas of improvement that promote sustainability and efficiency at the same time—from tracking how many miles their trucks drive empty, to encouraging interoperability across their networks, to finding suppliers closer to their facilities.

Expert opinion: “Companies have been adjusting their just-in-time approach to inventories as globalization has shifted in recent years, and business leaders need to explore new tools proactively that can help them maintain operations when critical parts of their supply chain are threatened. For many fragile supply networks, even a small disruption can have outsized effects,” said Casey Chapman, principal at RSM US LLP, and Alex Kotsopoulos, partner at RSM Canada.

Resources for you: Want to dive deeper? Check out some additional resources from the NAM.

• Explore Connex Marketplace—a manufacturing buyer–seller connection platform where users can search based on certifications, location, materials and other key details to get a clear sense of supply chain strengths and potential vulnerabilities.
• Learn about topics like energy efficiency and sustainability, workforce and labor management, cybersecurity tactics and more through Operational Insights, a twice-monthly resource for manufacturers featuring articles on best practices and downloadable checklists and assets.
• Read a thought leader interview with Lora Cecere, founder of Supply Chain Insights, as she delves into the evolving landscape of supply chain management.”