TY - JOUR SN - 0960-0035 AU - Hoberg, Kai AU - Thorton, LaDonna AU - Wieland, Andreas T1 - How to deal with the human factor in supply chain management? JF - International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management SP - 151 EP - 158 IS - 2 VL - 50 PY - 2020 AB - Supply chain management (SCM) is an intricate part of the business world at present. As organizations serve the global consumer or user, supply chains must reach a wide range of markets. Markets range from dense megacities to sparsely populated rural communities. Despite this range, supply chain employees must determine how to efficiently, effectively and sustainably deliver products and services to all their customers. The complexities that exist within these various supply chains create a myriad of difficulties for supply chain decision-makers. Furthermore, the introduction of omnichannel retail and the belief that consumers expect delivery within two days or less have further increased complexity. Hence, additional pressure has been added to the ever fast-paced supply chain networks. Consequently, organizations' supply chains are becoming more multifaceted and increasingly challenging to manage. Remaining competitive while addressing increasing requirements on the supply chain forces decision-makers to seek a variety of options. When assessing these options, supply chain decision-makers are faced with critically evaluating the boundaries of their knowledge and the supply chain workforce. The exploration of expanding the limitations of the workforce is illustrated by the growing interest in artificial intelligence, process automation and autonomous machines. Perhaps the limitations of the workforce may be addressed through new technologies. For example, LeMay and Keller (2019) in their article for the special issue explore the history of truck drivers. They report on an industry that is heavily regulated, has long hours and suffers from a shortage of manpower. Within their article, they acknowledge that with the increased demands due to omnichannel, e-commerce and new regulations, trucking is investing in more innovative technologies to help truck drivers focus, get more rest and deal with the demands of the job. There is a constant exploration of how to enhance the abilities of the supply chain workforce to service the dynamic environment businesses must operate within. However, before truly pursuing more technologically advanced options, organizations need to understand the individual competencies of supply chain employees as well as the limits of their capabilities. More specifically, what are the competencies, skills and abilities that are necessary for supply chain employees to be successful in this complex environment? Once these areas are identified, how can organizations complement their employees' individual competencies using technological advances? Furthermore, how much should organizations augment their workforce with varying technological advancements, and is there a point of diminishing returns? Finally, what is the best approach to the introduction of technology and innovation to the labor force? This thought piece seeks to call for research on understanding the challenges faced by the human factor within SCM. Furthermore, we call for additional exploration into how supply chains can expand the capabilities of supply chain decision-makers and supply chain employees through technological advancements, which can help organizations look to the future. Organizations that are successful in integrating the institutional knowledge of supply chain decision-makers and employees with the technological advances within the industry will achieve a competitive advantage. A way to move forward might be to (1) understand the individual competencies and supply chain employees' ability to handle the demands of the field; (2) acknowledge the imperfect human decision-maker by understanding where it is unrealistic and impractical to depend solely on a human decision-maker; and (3) augment the human decision-maker by integrating technological advancements into supply chain processes, providing additional actionable insights to supply chain decision-makers. M4 - Citavi ER -