From brick-and-mortar locations to online storefronts and social commerce platforms, the growing complexity of fulfilling orders across channels continues to push supply chains to evolve. McKinsey notes that the rise of omnichannel is challenging systems originally built for single-channel retail.
To keep pace with this shift and rising consumer expectations, supply chains must become more agile through improved collaboration, smarter planning tools and more responsive operations. But how do you achieve that in a fast-paced, constantly evolving environment?
The strategies below can help achieve this, building a more resilient end-to-end supply network that delivers a seamless experience across multiple channels.
Unified Data Manages Smarter Inventory
With the increasing number of retailer channels consumers can interact with and purchase from, clear and transparent data is vital for supply chain leaders, especially when it comes to inventory management.
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To make core channel data more accessible to retail partners like store managers, logistics providers and materials suppliers, leaders should work to integrate store, warehouse and ecommerce data into a single view. This type of integration gives everyone across the supply network the insights they need to make faster, more informed decisions. Potential solutions to consider include building a centralized control tower for the data or teaming up with a technology partner to connect and streamline data flows.
Unified data is important because it improves data visibility, enabling flexible inventory operations. With real-time stock monitoring, businesses can provide accurate updates to customers and equip store managers with precise, on-site insights. Additionally, this visibility supports inventory pooling across nearby stores and distribution centers, reducing duplicate orders, minimizing excess safety stock and ensuring products are available where and when consumers need them most.
Tech-Enabled and Partner-Powered Visibility
One often-overlooked strategy for building omnichannel resilience is tapping into underutilized technologies or supply chain relationships. These gaps can hold back agility and growth.
Take for instance digital twin technology. This virtual representation of a physical process or facility can enable retailers to model different types of scenarios as their networks evolve. For example, if a retailer sees a shift toward more ecommerce demand, they could use a digital twin to test and adapt their warehouse operations accordingly. And with the rise of cloud-based platforms and more providers offering these services, digital twins are becoming increasingly accessible to a wider range of retailers.
Beyond tech, retailers should engage external partners to uncover inefficiencies and strengthen their networks. Partners with a full view of the supply chain, like a pooled platform provider or a 3PL, can ensure the right parties are at the table to collaborate, resolve inefficiencies and unlock operational value.
In action, this might mean identifying overlapping footprints between partners and using those insights to optimize truck space and reduce empty miles. It could also involve looking at the fulfillment processes to identify where manual operations may be slowing down operations or creating bottlenecks for others in the network.
Winning with a Flexible Workforce
Behind the data and technology, supply chain leaders should also look at their workforce when building agility. One area worth exploring is the growing gig economy. According to a large industrial staffing provider’s research, 50% of hourly workers have worked or are interested in gig-type roles. By embracing this shift and adopting the workforce as a service model, supply chain leaders can more easily scale labor up or down as production needs change.
To further strengthen resiliency, retailers should prioritize cross-training to create a more responsive and adaptable workforce. For example, employees could be trained to assist customers on the sales floor during peak in-store demand and shift to fulfilling online orders when ecommerce surges. The more skills a workforce has, the more prepared they are for unexpected disruptions or shifts.
Supply Network Fit for Today’s Omnichannel Demands
As the omnichannel landscape continues to evolve, so should retailers’ supply chains. To stay competitive in an increasingly complex retail environment, retailers must invest in new capabilities that unlock data-driven insights, enable agile operations and support flexible labor strategies.
Building a resilient supply network starts with asking the right questions, such as:
- Where are the blind spots in our current supply network, and how can we uncover them before they become disruptions?
- Are we empowering our teams and partners with the right tools and insights to make fast, informed decisions?
- How can we better anticipate shifts in consumer behavior and proactively adjust our operations?
- What unconventional strategies, like gig labor or digital simulations, could unlock new agility for our business?
- Are we building a supply chain that’s not just reactive, but ready to lead in the next wave of retail innovation?
Asking these questions can help improve your supply chain’s performance today and inform smarter decisions in the future, as you rethink what’s possible and strive to deliver the best experience for your customers.
Cheryl Henry is VP of Sales at CHEP U.S., where she leverages 20+ years of supply chain experience to drive efficiency, cost savings and circularity for CPG customers and their partners.
