Do you ever look at the calendar, see the year 2025, and wonder how we got here when it seems like 2020 was just a few months ago? If so, you’re not alone. The COVID-19 pandemic forever altered our world, and things haven’t seemed the same since, even though we’re now several years post-recovery.
One thing we learned during the ordeal of the pandemic is how susceptible our supply chains were to disruption. Everything from automobiles to toilet paper were subjected to shortages and lengthy waits for supplies to be replenished.
The pandemic exposed some key flaws in the way things had always been done, and leaders from industries across the country and around the world called for major changes that would prevent such disruptions from happening again in the future.
For example, many supply chain experts called for increased investment in and adoption of advanced automation technologies throughout the supply chain. With an ongoing skills gap making it difficult to fill open positions throughout every industry, leaders rightly looked to increased automation to increase productivity and efficiency throughout their supply chains.
So where do today’s supply chains stand? Have leaders followed through on their intentions to increase automation and strengthen supply chains against future disruptions? Experts now say that, when it comes to supply chain automation, there’s been a lot more talk than action to date.
According to a recent SupplyChainBrain article by Robert J. Bowman, “[s]upply chain leaders love to talk about their push for ‘digitization’ of key processes. But their hiring patterns aren’t always lining up with that rhetoric.”
Bowman notes that a 2024 Supply Chain Jobs report by Cleo found that “[d]espite a consensus among executives that automating the supply chain is essential in a time of constrained resources, endless disruptions and unpredictable consumer demand, only 6.5% of current openings for supply chain jobs include the word ‘automation.’”
Why the disconnect? Bowman points out that “many businesses lack a clear understanding of the value that automation can bring, and the tools that are available. They continue to rely on outdated systems, including on-premises software and home-grown applications cobbled together over years of operation.”
Other significant factors include fear of change, the costs of investing in automation technologies, and employee worries about losing their jobs to machines. Still, even those with aspirations to increase automation face another major challenge: “many companies lack the qualified people to implement, run and maintain it.”
Bowman believes that “[i]f they’re not making new hires to carry out that task, organizations need to think about how they can either train up current team members to make better use of data, or investment in technology where you don’t need data-visualization experts.”
The problem, of course, is that there are not enough workers who possess the highly-technical skills required. An industry-wide skills gap has resulted in an acute shortage of technicians able to work with these new advanced systems without additional training. This skills gap has become the weak link in the supply chain.
Fortunately, a training solution exists in the form of Amatrol’s Skill Boss Logistics, a supply chain automation training and assessment device that promises to bridge the skills gap by increasing the number of technicians with the skills needed to survive and thrive in today’s supply chain automation and material handling industries.
Amatrol is not tackling the supply chain automation skills gap alone. Skill Boss Logistics was developed in collaboration with the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) to support its new Certified Technician in Supply Chain Automation (CTSCA) certifications.
These new certifications will enable both students and incumbent workers to gain the skills needed to meet the definition of a supply chain automation technician established by the National Science Foundation-funded National Center for Supply Chain Automation: a technician who installs, operates, supports, upgrades or maintains the automated material handling equipment and systems which support the supply chain.
Skill Boss Logistics is a real working automated distribution system. It teaches and assesses 100 hands-on skills essential for today’s technicians. It also features real industrial equipment that supply chain automation technicians will encounter on the job.
Amatrol’s consultants are ready to show you how you can use Skill Boss Logistics to teach your supply chain automation and material handling technicians the skills they need to succeed in today’s technologically-advanced workplace. They can also explain how to get your technicians on track to earn one or more of MSSC’s new CTSCA certifications.
Simply visit the Skill Boss Logistics page, click on the “Request Info” button, and then fill out the Contact Form with your information. Add a message with a few details about your organization and a consultant will be in touch with you soon!
About Duane Bolin
Duane Bolin is a former curriculum developer and education specialist. He is currently a Marketing Content Developer for Amatrol, Inc. Learn more about Amatrol and its technical training solutions, including eLearning, here and connect with Duane on Amatrol’s Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube pages.
