Could 2018 be called the year of the diverse millennial supply chain? The answer is "yes" because 2018 has been a year of awareness and transformation as millennials move into management and entrepreneurship. At the end of the year, it is natural to discuss negatives like political partisanship and natural disasters. However, there are many good things that happen every year as trends that give us insights into the future. One trend is the growing reach of millennials as they approach 30 years old. They are now managers and entrepreneurs, and both roles are impacting supply chains.

The year 2018 was a challenging year for businesses in many ways – labor shortages, difficulties managing social media influence on brand reputation, giant online companies like Amazon putting small businesses out of business, synergization of offline and online sales and communication channels, changing tariffs, European Union economy in turmoil, generational shifts, and globalization influenci...