5 Key Strategies to Improve Your Supply Chain in 2025 | FORTNA

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5 Key Strategies to Improve Your Supply Chain in 2025

Discover five key strategies to optimize your supply chain in 2025. From labor savings and automation to capacity management and robotics, learn how to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and stay competitive in the evolving logistics landscape.

von Tim Johnson

The supply chain landscape continues to evolve, and 2025 is poised to bring even greater challenges and opportunities for distribution operations.

Rising cost pressures, persistent labor shortages, and the complexities of managing SKU proliferation are forcing companies to rethink their distribution strategies. To remain competitive, businesses must focus on efficiency, scalability and innovation.

Here are five ways to elevate your supply chain in 2025.

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1. Optimize labor productivity and costs.

Labor shortages and rising wages are making cost control a top priority. Forward-thinking businesses are leveraging technology to get more done with fewer resources:

  • Slotting optimization: By strategically locating seasonal and high-velocity SKUs in easily accessible areas, businesses can significantly reduce travel time and boost picking productivity. Modern slotting tools utilize data analytics to dynamically optimize layouts, ensuring they adapt to the ever-changing demands of the market.
  • Automation and robotics: Robotic picking systems and automated sortation equipment minimize reliance on manual labor while improving speed and accuracy. These technologies reduce costs and help scale operations during peak demand periods.
  • Inventory visibility: Real-time inventory management systems enable smarter stocking decisions, minimizing overstock and carrying costs. This ensures businesses can meet customer needs without unnecessary expenses.
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2. Maximize capacity with smart solutions.

With e-commerce volumes rising, facilities need to handle more SKUs and orders without expanding their physical footprint. The right tools can unlock untapped potential in your current space:

  • High-density storage: Goods-to-person automated storage and retrieval systems use robotics to maximize vertical and horizontal storage capacity. By addressing SKU proliferation challenges, dense storage solutions ensure efficient utilization of every square foot of space.
  • Dynamic throughput: Conveyor systems and robotic AMRs keep products flowing seamlessly through the warehouse. These systems enable businesses to operate at peak efficiency even during seasonal surges.
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3. Streamline returns management.

Returns are a growing challenge for supply chains, particularly with the continued growth of e-commerce and the consumer practice of bracketing. By adopting smarter reverse logistics processes, businesses can turn a pain point into an opportunity:

  • Automated returns processing: Automation tools can significantly expedite the returns process by efficiently sorting, inspecting and dispositioning returned items, ultimately reducing labor costs and accelerating the resale process.
  • Reverse logistics visibility: Advanced software solutions provide insights into return trends, enabling better forecasting and reducing unnecessary costs. This transparency helps businesses manage the increasing volume of returns without sacrificing efficiency.
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4. Accelerate order fulfillment with robotics.

Robotic solutions are transforming the way orders are fulfilled, helping businesses meet customer expectations faster and more accurately than ever before:

  • Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs): These agile robots move products through the warehouse efficiently, eliminating bottlenecks and integrating with  Warehouse Execution Systems  (WES) to orchestrate workflows seamlessly.
  • Robotic picking: By leveraging robotic arms equipped with AI-powered vision systems, businesses can significantly improve order accuracy and speed while freeing up human workers to focus on more strategic and value-added activities.

When combined with WES or warehouse control systems (WCS), robotic technologies create a synchronized, highly efficient fulfillment process.

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5. Enhance end-of-line packaging.

The final step in the supply chain is often the most visible to customers. Optimizing packaging processes can reduce costs, improve efficiency, and support sustainability goals:

  • Automated packaging systems: Automation in boxing, labeling and palletization reduces manual labor while ensuring consistent quality. These systems also increase throughput, allowing businesses to meet rising demand.
  • Sustainability initiatives: Companies are embracing eco-friendly packaging materials and processes to align with customer expectations and regulatory standards. By prioritizing sustainability, businesses can build stronger customer relationships and reduce environmental impact.

FORTNA unterstützt Sie

2025 promises to be a year of transformation for supply chains. By focusing on labor savings, maximizing capacity, streamlining returns, leveraging robotics, and optimizing packaging, businesses can thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape. FORTNA can help devise an automation plan to increase your distribution network reach, increase productivity and throughput, and provide visibility and the data needed to compete in 2025 and beyond.

Are you ready to elevate your supply chain in 2025? By embracing innovative solutions, you can drive efficiency, scalability and resilience—positioning your business for success in the years to come.

Über den Autor

Tim Johnson

Vice President, Systems

Tim Johnson ist ein erfahrener Supply Chain Leader mit über 25 Jahren Erfahrung in der Umsetzung von Zielen über das gesamte Supply Chain Spektrum hinweg. Dank seiner tiefgreifenden Branchenkenntnis kann er auf eine beachtliche Erfolgsbilanz verweisen: von der Optimierung der Intralogistik über die Steigerung der operativen Effizienz bis hin zur Realisierung von Business Cases. Tim Johnson versteht es, leistungsstarke Teams aufzubauen und zu leiten, verfügt über solide Expertise und trägt mit seiner pragmatischen Sichtweise zur zielgerichteten Lösung komplexer Herausforderungen in der Supply Chain bei. Er ist Mitglied des Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC) und des Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP).