Guest: Kevin Reader of Knapp on the threat of failing to automate

It should come as news to no one that the Covid-19 pandemic broke global supply chains, and they remain in need of repair. Container ships are backed up waiting to unload. Shortages are causing massive delays. Capacity is limited, companies cannot find labor, nor can they find the drivers to transport the goods they do have. Add to that the threats of severe weather, cyber security concerns, a failing infrastructure, and lingering impacts of a worldwide pandemic. It is certainly an interesting time to be a supply chain professional. But with each of these threats comes opportunities. We’ll explore it all with industry insiders and thought leaders on "The Top 10 Supply Chain Threats” a new, 11-episode, podcast series from CSCMP’s Supply Chain Quarterly.
Episode 4: Threat: Failing to automate

Companies learned rather early during the pandemic that those with automated processes fared much better than those that relied on manual operations. It is no longer an option of whether to automate distribution processes, but which processes are best to undergo automation. As labor remains tight and there is an increasing need for speed and accuracy, automation is the only reasonable answer. Our guest on this episode is Kevin Reader, vice president of marketing for Knapp. He has been involved firsthand with some of the largest automation projects to date, as well as many other smaller applications where automation has solved distribution problems. We discuss how failing to automate could mean a company is no longer relevant or competitive.

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