There are several gamechangers,
or global
megatrends, coming into
play this year for the South
African supply chain
industry. Is the industry
fully aware of them and the
potential impact they could
have on their business?
This was the question
posed by Mark Cleeve-
Edwards, executive:
business development at
Barloworld Logistics, at the
launch of the 12th annual
supplychainforesight
survey – compiled by Frost
& Sullivan on behalf of
Barloworld Logistics – last
week.
He said in some instances
it was clear that local supply
chain companies did not
have a full understanding
or an appreciation of the
disruptive effect of – and the
opportunities presented by
– some of the trends.
“South African companies
may be unaware of the risks
of these major trends or are
deterred by the potential
investments needed to
take advantage of these
opportunities, or guard
against these threats,” said
Cleeve-Edwards.
“Megatrends are a reality
and understanding them is
important for South African
companies wanting to stay
ahead of the curve,” he said.
Cleeve-Edwards noted
that it was “encouraging”
that the megatrends
were viewed more as
opportunities and less as
threats. “This speaks to the
generally positive nature
of South Africans who
have undergone large-scale
change.”
Yet the cost of not being
able to identify or respond to
change is huge, said Cleeve-
Edwards. “Those organisations
that are not constantly in
touch with predicting gamechanging
trends will lose out
to their competitors.”
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Megatrends for 2015
New creative business models
The rise of Asian economies
Mass collaboration
3D/4D printing and copying
Robots and robotics
The rise of African economies
E Commerce
Urbanisation
Technology innovation
Changing demographics
New mobility solutions
Industry convergence
Rationalised logistics functions
Hub and spoke logistics models
