Megatrends - threat or opportunity

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.” INSERT 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