Majority of Supply Chain Leaders Plan to Embrace New Technology to Overcome Persistent Challenges, TrueCommerce Survey Reveals
TrueCommerce, Inc., a global provider of supply chain and trading partner connectivity, integration and omnichannel solutions recently commissioned a survey of global supply chain leaders for its “Supply Chain Trends Report 2024—Inflation, Talent, and Tech: The Current State of Business and Supply Chain.” The research study uncovered that the same supply chain challenges remain year-to-year and that most supply chain leaders plan to adopt advanced technologies such as supply chain management (SCM) systems, electronic data interchange (EDI) tools, and cloud-based ERP solutions to overcome those obstacles.

E-Invoicing: A Challenge and PriorityOne key supply chain challenge that survey respondents highlighted was increasing and ever-changing government mandates. Such requirements add yet another layer of complexity as leaders must contend with product/quality regulations, tariffs and import/export restrictions, environmental regulations, and regulatory compliance.

Electronic invoicing (e-invoicing) mandates from tax authorities around the world are creating changes in compliance requirements and how transactions are managed. In Germany, the implementation of e-invoicing is set to become mandatory in 2025 due to a legislative move approved by the Federal Council on March 23, 2024. Therefore—to ensure compliance—it’s critical for businesses with global supply chains to stay up to date on the constantly evolving e-invoicing and tax compliance mandates in Europe and other parts of the world.

Anders Knudsen, TrueCommerce VP, Marketing and Product in Europe advises: “Maintaining awareness of tax compliance mandates is crucial for companies to avoid costly penalties and maintain their reputation. Compliance is not just about adhering to regulations; it's about ensuring the smooth operation of your business and fostering trust with your customers and suppliers. In today's complex global market, being proactive with tax compliance can provide a significant competitive advantage and safeguard your company against potential disruptions."

Persistent Challenges Year-To-YearIn 2023, business leaders pinpointed three major challenges that impact the supply chain including cost control (37%), acquiring new customers (34%) and attracting and retaining talent (33%). In 2024, these same three challenges remain with cost control (35%) and retaining talent (35%) listed as the most important followed by acquiring new customers (30%). While respondents understand the big-picture challenges, the data also reveals they may not be connecting the dots on all the factors that impact them.

The survey also identified other significant challenges impacting supply chain performance, including:

• Supply Chain Disruptions – Leaders are most concerned about three factors related to supply chain disruptions: price changes (45%), labour shortages (34%) and cyberthreats (31%).
• Order Management – The survey found 95% of companies face order-management challenges, a key to streamlining operations, boosting sales, and ensuring customer satisfaction. Some of the top challenges include inventory discrepancies (47%), returns/reverse logistics (46%) and volume fluctuations (39%).
• Security, Currency and QA – On top of the business and supply chain challenges already mentioned, 49% of company leaders managing supply chains are worried about cyber threats, 43% are concerned about currency fluctuations and exchange rates, and 35% experience quality control issues and language differences.
• Global Challenges – Government mandates add another layer of complexity to global supply chains. Leaders are dealing with mandates surrounding product/quality regulations (52%), tariffs and import/export restrictions (51%) and environmental regulations (42%).

The report further indicates that while there may be similarities in terms of business and supply chain challenges among the leaders surveyed, there remains a range of approaches when it comes to managing and improving these issues.

Other Supply Chain Priorities for 2024The survey also revealed that over the past few years, nearly all business leaders have taken steps to improve inventory management and plan for supply chain disruption. At the top of the list of strategies was adopting new tech (73%), while over half (64%) plan to diversify suppliers and/or increase safety stock (57%). The research also uncovered that nearly 60% are investing in supply chain management (SCM) and electronic data interchange (EDI) tools to mitigate supply chain delays.

In 2024, 71% of business leaders anticipate spending more on supply chain software than they did in 2023, with a specific focus on investing in new ERPs, with 70% planning to invest this year. Those surveyed shared the reasons behind these investments, including improved reporting and analytics, uptime improvements and better integration capabilities.

In 2023, business leader priorities were to achieve sales increases (39%), improve order-processing accuracy (33%) and improve resiliency (28%). In 2024, the biggest priority remains to increase sales (34%). However, when comparing these goals and challenges listed earlier, the two don’t align. For example, practises like improving workflow visibility, reducing time to market, boosting productivity, and automating processes, are steps that could improve cost control, but they are low on business leaders’ list of goals.

For access to the full report and additional findings, as well as actionable insights for supply chain leaders, visit https://www.truecommerce.com/uk-en/supply-chain-trends-report-2024.

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About TrueCommerceAt TrueCommerce, we empower businesses to improve their supply chain performance and drive better business outcomes. Through a single connection to our high-performance global supply chain network, businesses receive more than just EDI, they get access to a fully integrated network that connects their customers, suppliers, logistics partners and internal systems. Our cloud-based, fully managed services help businesses achieve end-to-end supply chain management, streamlined delivery, and simplified operations. With 25+ years of expertise and trusted partnership, TrueCommerce helps businesses reach their true supply chain potential today while preparing them for the future with our integration-agnostic network. That’s why thousands of companies—from SMBs to the global Fortune 100, across various industries—rely on us. To learn more, visit www.truecommerce.com.

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