Descartes Systems Group has released its second study on the current labor shortage; ”What Are Companies Doing to Overcome the Supply Chain and Logistics Workforce Challenge?”. The study shows that 54 percent of European and North American companies are focusing on automating non-value-adding and repetitive tasks to address the labor shortage in supply chain and logistics.
The study’s findings confirm that many tasks in supply chain and logistics are routine and require manual effort. Delivery route optimization (54%) and real-time shipment tracking (53%) are the most common technological solutions used to improve productivity.
– The problem of a shortage of qualified personnel is widespread, and the study confirms that most organizations operating in the supply chain and logistics sectors have implemented changes in operations, technology, recruitment, and employee retention to overcome this problem. “Based on the study’s findings, we believe employers should continue to invest and evolve to get the most out of their existing resources and focus on more than just money when it comes to hiring and retaining a skilled workforce,” says Chris Jones, EVP, Industry at Descartes.
The study also shows that the strategies and technical tools companies use to address labor shortages vary depending on financial performance, growth, management’s perception of the importance of logistics, and how successfully the company works to retain its employees.
Descartes and SAPIO Research interviewed 1,000 decision-makers in manufacturing, distribution, retail, transportation, and logistics in late 2023. The goal was to understand what organizations in the supply chain and logistics sectors are doing to improve employee productivity, recruit new talent, and retain existing staff, as well as to identify ways to address the challenges of finding qualified employees today and in the future. The respondents were based in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, as well as six other European countries, Canada, and the United States, and held management-level positions in their respective organizations.
