The supply chain of the future is (slowly) coming online – Axios

Pandemic-driven disruptions have left the global supply chain in a deep crisis, but new technologies and approaches could help avert the next one.

Why it matters: The inability to get goods made and shipped is raising prices and dragging down the global economy.

Driving the news: U.S. GDP growth slowed to 2% in Q3 2021, a lower-than-expected number economists attributed to the Delta variant and supply chain problems.

Be smart: While the idea of a supply chain crisis can make it sound as if the global economy is experiencing a shipping deficit of some sort, in fact more goods than usual are flowing.

The catch: There's a reason companies embraced "just in time" rather than "just in case" strategies a dollar spent on banked inventory is a dollar that can't be invested elsewhere. Many goods, like fashion or high technology products, will also quickly lose value over time if stored in a warehouse as a hedge against logistics crises.

What's next: Since consumers are unlikely to abandon their desire for rapid shipping especially since the pandemic led to a boom in e-commerce one longer-term solution is to make the supply chain more efficient through automation and other technological advances.

By the numbers: Investors are paying attention a record $45.1 billion has been raised by industrial startups so far this year according to Pitchbook, compared to $34 billion for all of 2020.

The bottom line: The pandemic-related supply chain crunch won't always be with us, but further crises will recur unless we can fundamentally change how we get things from A to B.

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The supply chain of the future is (slowly) coming online - Axios