Logistics and Supply Chain Technology Report 2021

中国电信（欧洲）有限公司 C h i n a T e l e c o m ( E u r o p e ) L t d .

What is the primary drive for your spending initiatives?

25%

50%

75%

100%

Taking advantage of new technology

31%

Creating a business differentiator

26%

Updating legacy systems

16%

Customer demands

14%

Keeping pace with the competition

Other

The drivers behind these spending decisions are varied, with our respondents noting factors ranging from keeping pace with the competition (8%) and creating a differentiator for their business (26%) to meeting emerging and growing customer demands (14%). The majority of our respondents converged on taking advantage of new technologies (31%). As the past year has proven, a modern world requires modern solutions, and the rise of digital-first third party logistics (3PL) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) providers across the supply chain has presented a wide range of potential opportunities for swift-moving businesses to update their technology stack and gain a competitive edge. To this extent, the prevalence of legacy systems, though dwindling is still a budgetary concern (16%) as modernisation of business infrastructure requires maintaining these systems until viable alternatives are more available.