First Mile, First Impact: Redefining Supply Chain Efficiency from the Origin
By Vinita Gera
The “first mile” covers raw material sourcing, purchase order execution, and supplier management prior to production. This stage is foundational for establishing supply chain continuity and operational uptime.
Why the First Mile is the Most Critical
Yet Least Digitized Stage
Defining the
First Mile
The “first mile” covers raw material sourcing, purchase order execution, and supplier management prior to production. This stage is foundational for establishing supply chain continuity and operational uptime.
Under
Digitization
The 2025 MHI Annual Industry Report found that while 55% of supply chain leaders are increasing their technology and innovation investments – with 60% planning to spend over $1M and 19% planning to spend over $10M – there’s still a significant gap in end-to-end digital orchestration. Adoption over the next five years is particularly strong for technologies like inventory/network optimization (92%), cloud computing (91%), predictive analytics (87 %), and AI (82%).
Industry
Trends
Leading companies are adopting cloud-based supplier collaboration platforms and AI-driven analytics to enhance first-mile visibility. Gartner predicts that, by 2026, over 50% of supply chain organizations will adopt machine learning to augment decision-making, and over 50% of large enterprises will compete as collaborative digital ecosystems.
Leading companies are adopting cloud-based supplier collaboration platforms and AI-driven analytics to enhance first-mile visibility. Gartner predicts that, by 2026, over 50% of supply chain organizations will adopt machine learning to augment decision-making, and over 50% of large enterprises will compete as collaborative digital ecosystems.