How logistics AI can build better supply chain relationships

It’s impossible to downplay the importance of relationships in shipping and logistics. The global supply chain is built upon thousands of partnerships and collaborations between suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and logistics providers, not to mention the government agencies that regulate them or safeguard borders. Each of these organizations also have relationships with their employees and contractors.

With disruption and constraints wreaking havoc across the global supply chain, these relationships are under incredible pressure. Companies are working past maximum capacity, and workers battle burnout daily. How do you maintain good relationships in times of stress?

Consideration, transparency, and clear communication form the basis of healthy working relationships. Unfortunately, the breakneck pace of the industry can make these qualities hard to maintain in everyday interactions — especially in the crazy pace of the past few years. But believe it or not, supply chain and logistics AI can actually facilitate these qualities and help organizations and their workers create better relationships moving forward.

The challenge of maintaining relationships amid supply chain chaos

A single supply chain has dozens, even hundreds of touchpoints on the journey from product design and sourcing, through manufacturing, to last mile delivery — much like a relay race. Each step of this process requires a complex exchange of information to meet compliance, validate requests, incorporate changes, and ensure accuracy. All of this is handled with documents.

That means when one worker or organization has inefficient document processes, the delay cascades to affect everyone downstream. This includes colleagues who share the same employer, and, potentially, customers and collaborators from outside organizations.

Organizations need to minimize friction in each transaction as much as possible — both to protect their profits and to maintain customer satisfaction.

Good collaboration: The benefits of supply chain and logistics AI

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms are designed (and priced) for major corporations, leaving smaller businesses that comprise most of the supply chain without comparable tools. Even the most advanced ERPs leave gaps in automation, especially when it comes to document processing.

Automation Hero is an AI-powered intelligent process automation solution that helps organizations with tasks as simple as data extraction or manage end-to-end automations for entire enterprises. The platform’s robust capabilities make it incredibly easy to maintain transparency, communicate clearly, and respond quickly to collaborators’ needs, doing a great deal to improve supply chain relationships. Here’s how logistics AI helps these relationships.

Intelligent document processing

One of the most challenging aspects of the fast-paced supply chain environment is simply preparing documents before they’re needed. Failure to do this can cause delays at warehouses or border checkpoints, wasting the time of loading dock workers and government officials, as well as all the ones waiting to unload or cross a checkpoint.

Automation Hero can automatically extract data from any type of document to virtually eliminate data entry, and even insert relevant information into new documents. This helps transport workers prepare compliance documentation ahead of time. Even better, data extraction can minimize paperwork throughout the entire supply chain, so there’s less paper for other people to physically process. 

More systems connectivity

Organizations across the supply chain industry use many types of software and systems. Automation Hero connects seamlessly with every type or source and destination data system to effortlessly receive and transmit documents. That lets users fit into their customers and collaborators’ existing processes so no one is forced to make complicated accommodations.

Reduced errors

Any time documents are written and processed manually, there’s a chance for misunderstanding, typos, and other mistakes. Supply chain and logistics AI not only processes documents faster but also does it with lower risk of human error — so workers don’t add more stress to each others’ days.

Cost control

One of the biggest consequences of supply chain chaos is rising costs across the landscape in a narrow margin segment. Since intelligent document processing can improve efficiency and profitability, it avoids the need for price hikes — something every customer will appreciate. After all, long-time customers may not be able to maintain a relationship if it’s no longer cost effective.

The best supply chain and logistics AI solution doesn’t have to be industry specific. Automation Hero can help automate every type of document process for incredible efficiency gains. In addition to integration with every major ERP, the platform can even make up for their limitations and help reduce paperwork. Even small efficiency gains can give companies and their employees some breathing room to keep up with demand. That breathing room is oftentimes all it takes for people to maintain harmony and professionalism in their working relationships. That’s ultimately what keeps the supply chain strong.
Want to know what else keeps the supply chain strong? Read our new e-book, Remapping the supply chain: How AI helps supply chain and procurement teams stay agile in times of chaos.