148 FEATURE BY AMBER HICKMAN Photo: iStock/gorodenkoff Retail and consumer goods organisations around the world must have an efficient supply chain to achieve financial success and drive customer satisfaction, and right now they are identifying new technologies and tools that can help them achieve this. Recent 2024 research from analyst firm IDC shows that retailers are responding by investing heavily in supply chain modernisation. In fact, it’s now one of the fastest growing areas of digital transformation in retail, with annual spending in the Americas rising by about 22 per cent. Why? Because an intelligent supply chain can cushion the business against external shocks, acting as a safeguard against wider economic fluctuations. Those who leverage the latest technologies to reinvent their strategies stand to gain a significant competitive edge. According to Felice Miller, business strategy lead for retail and consumer goods at Microsoft, “a resilient and optimised supply chain is no longer a competitive advantage, it’s a necessity”. “The pandemic exposed the fragility of global supply chains, and now retail and consumer goods organisations are navigating a landscape shaped by tariff volatility, shifting trade policies and macroeconomic uncertainty,” she explains. “International trade policies are in flux and the impact of these trade uncertainties on the retail and consumer goods industry is substantial. Rising import tariffs drive up costs for raw materials and finished goods, driving margin compression. Supply chain teams must constantly re-optimise their logistics and sourcing strategies to adapt.” Simply put, agility is paramount in this new normal of continuous disruption as Miller emphasises. Organisations can no longer rely on static forecasts and single-source suppliers. Instead, they must build flexible networks, diversify sourcing and balance efficiency with resilience. Global retailers and consumer goods organisations are operating in turbulent times that have made supply chain disruptions the new norm. Those who develop an agile, AI-powered supply chain will come out on top, predicts Microsoft’s Felice Miller operational Driving in times of excellence uncertainty
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