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WHAT DID WE LEARN IN LONDON?
Discussing robotics and automation, he said the dropping cost of automation is unlocking a wealth of new opportunities. The possibilities for the use of robotics were best explained by Prof. dr. Pieter Jonker, full professor in Cognitive Robotics at the Delft University of Technology and CEO of RobotRobotsCompany in the Netherlands. For anyone confused by the complexities of robotics and what it is going to take before we see robots fulfilling a range of supply chain functions, Prof. Jonker provided a simple insight into what makes an autonomous robot:
• Motion It can move (walk, drive, fly, sail, dive) It can manipulate (reach, grasp, inspect)
• Cognition Where am I on the map of my world? Who are “the others” and what are they doing?
• Autonomy What is my task and how am I doing? What/whom do I need for my task (leverage)?
Technology – often becoming available at lower cost – is changing what companies can do and offers ‘a huge opportunity to grow new revenue streams and business models.’ The fact that the Federal Drug Administration in the U.S. has already approved the first 3D printed drug is just one indication of what’s possible.
At DHL, the age of the digital supply chain is already here. It’s a smart move. McKinsey is on record as stating ‘The biggest future revenue and profit impact of digitalisation is set to occur through the digitalisation of Supply’ while Cisco Consulting believes $1.9 trillion of value is at stake through the deployment of Internet of Things (IoT) use cases in the supply chain and logistics industry.
These are indicators fuelling work and creative thinking at DHL’s Innovation Center where projects include:
• The connected warehouse
• Augmented reality solution vision picking, which produces an average 15% productivity gain, improved picking accuracy, greater customer satisfaction, and requires 50% less training time
• Aerial oversight with drones
• A family of CO2-neutral Streetscooter vehicles
• Robotics for autonomous identification and mobile piece picking
• The use of smart locks and deliveries to car trunks
Scott Allison, President – Life Sciences & Healthcare Sector, DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation, highlighted how technology – often becoming available at lower cost – is changing what companies can do and offers ‘a huge opportunity to grow new revenue streams and business models.’ The fact that the Federal Drug Administration in the U.S. has already approved the first 3D printed drug is just one indication of what’s possible.
Like so many other topics discussed by speakers and panelists at the London conference, listening to Prof. Jonker speak provided another reminder that the changes many feel are still years away are actually proven, becoming increasingly advanced and sophisticated, and are going to change our working and private lives sooner than we think.
Some of this disruption will be warmly embraced by companies constantly looking to lower operating costs although artificial intelligence, in particular, will not be without its risks. However, the potential for automated warehouses and autonomous vehicles will, in the fullness of time, go a long way towards solving issues such as recruiting a flexible workforce to meet seasonal peaks or driver shortages.
It is, arguably, all a part of ‘thinking the unthinkable’ – as Nik Gowing would say - and being prepared for all eventualities. Pat Flynn- Cherenzia, Senior Director, Global Logistics and Fulfillment at Microsoft, presented two supply chain disruption case studies that looked at the much-publicised ransomware attack on Maersk Group and the bankruptcy of Hanjin Shipping and the ensuing response.
She concluded by offering this advice to companies regarding the key questions they should be asking themselves as part of their plan to deal with a disruption event:
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