What a Modex 2022! Record-setting attendance, fantastic new technology, and the best part, getting all our #SupplyChainGeeks back together in-person!
While most of the exhibit hall was dedicated to new technology, we took a different approach. Since we believe in a Process— People—then Technology approach, we decided to seek advice and feedback directly from the Modex crowds. So, we built a custom whiteboard into our booth to bring our community together.
After all, operations across market sectors are facing similar challenges with labor, security, and a need to meet growing demand. Let’s now look at some of our whiteboard research. I’m sure you’ll be shaking your head in agreement as you read!
Day 1 Whiteboard Question:
How would you improve operations?
For our booth visitors, this question was a challenge. It’s often difficult to come up with solutions—it’s much easier to identify problems (as we saw on day 2)!
Improving Process – 52%
Process is always king for operations and IT professionals. The largest percentage of our day 1 answers could be considered solutions that focus on process improvement.
At Modex 2022, part of these answers included:
- Focusing on inventory accuracy (100%)
- Getting the supply chain in order
- Learning and understanding the process and pain of users
- Focusing on printing less
- Focusing on process first
- Adopting a 360 view of the supply chain
- Driving end-to-end inventory visibility
- Focusing on supplier compliance
- Driving 100% connectivity
The Worker Experience – 29%
While about 29% of our answers fell into the “people” category, we still see this as the number one place of focus for companies this year and next. Just take a look at the news to see how vital employee experience and retention is.
At Barcoding, we believe customers MUST prioritize employee experience in order to achieve long-term growth.
At Modex 2022, part of the answers in this category included:
- Giving workers the gift of time with new technology and process improvement
- Building high employee morale
- Improving communication
- Striving for 100% employee retainment
- Being patient
- Being the best version of ourselves at work
- Building a great culture
Future-Proofing – 19%
While the Modex floor was full of technology and automation solutions, when we asked Modex visitors how they would improve their operations, these technology-based solutions only made up about 19% of our total answers. Technology is the tool to improve processes and worker experience—not the leading source of change.
At Modex 2022, part of the answers in this category included:
- Mobile data capture solutions
- Robotics
- Wireless pick-to-light
Day 2 Whiteboard Question: What business challenge would you make disappear?
This question was our most popular at Modex. It’s always easier to identify challenges than it is to come up with the right solutions!
The top four answers from Modex 2022 were either current events (supply chain shortages) or labor-related. As we mentioned, how companies deal with labor constraints will separate the winners from the losers.
- Supply chain shortages
- Overworked IT resources (could be doing more value-added projects)
- Hiring and onboarding workers
- Poor app usage/adoption (user experience)
Raw answers from Modex employees in terms of the pain they’re feeling. Notice how many times the word labor comes up again when we ask about what challenges they’d like to see disappear.
- Labor
- Time
- Inventory supply issues
- 10,000 labels per one box. Boxes that look like a suitcase.
- Downtime due to broken devices
- Poor user training
- Lead times
- Labor shortage
- Labor retention
- Poor inventory management
- Printing without labels
- Human mistakes
- Logistics contracts
- Search time
- Legacy systems
- Budget
- Complaining customers
- Mandates
- Missing scanners
- Travel issues/delays
- Meeting people face-to-face
- Quicker funding approval
Day 3 Whiteboard Question:
In the year 2024, what will be top of mind for Modex attendees?
This was a fun question to close out our show because it coincided with Student Days on the show floor. While we didn’t get a great volume of responses, what we saw was not a surprise:
- Fixed supply chain shortages
- Using more AI
- Reducing carbon footprint
- Continued managed service growth
- Real-time tracking
- Drones
- Progress on labor issues
- Co-bots
- Data, data, data
- Recruiting robot technicians at community colleges/ technical colleges
PPT—Process, People, Technology Approach
Here at Barcoding, we believe in PPT. We believe no one element surpasses the others and are always striving to improve all 3 for ourselves and our customers. Remember, you don’t have to walk this path alone! We’re here to help, so reach out and let’s chat.
