Beyond The Warehouse: Why Workforce Productivity Depends On Your Supply Chain

InnovationBeyond The Warehouse: Why Workforce Productivity Depends On Your Supply ChainByKerrie Jordan,Forbes Councils Member.for Forbes Technology CouncilCOUNCIL POSTExpertise from Forbes Councils members, operated under license. Opinions expressed are those of the author. | Membership (fee-based)Jun 02, 2026, 10:45am EDTKerrie Jordan is Chief Marketing Officer & SVP Product at Epicor. Host of the Manufacturing the Future podcast. getty​It’s common thinking that a company’s supply chain is only as strong, resilient and efficient as the people operating it. And while the people matter most, they still need to be supported by the right tools, technology and strategy. Without effective supply chain management strategies to predict disruptions and build short-term resilience, workers at the center of the supply chain lack the power and agency to sound a warning or quickly change course.Today, only 35% of front-line workers say their organization handles supply chain disruptions well, according to our recent report “Voice of the Essential Worker 2025.” Over half say they only have partial visibility or no visibility into their supply chain networks, with many saying they don’t have a clear understanding of their operational blind spots.How To Avoid Creating The Next BottleneckWith all the current geopolitical events and changing trade policies that can impact supply chains, companies need increased visibility to anticipate disruptions that may significantly impact operations. More importantly, they need a clearly communicated strategy on how front-line workers will address and mitigate those disruptions when they arrive.Below are a few key ways you can increase front-line worker productivity and decision-making with AI technology.​Supply Chain Success Driven By Workforce ProductivityDeveloping supply chain resilience capabilities has its roots in acquiring the right data across supplier networks, analyzing that data quickly for disruptions and having plans in place...