supply chain solutions
Flexibility is the new watchword For the
automated supply chain
i
f the past two years has taught the supply chain industry anything it is that surges in demand are now the norm rather than
the exception. creating a system that has flexibility built into its very fabric, that can react to surges in order demands while handling a shifting ecosystem of merchandise will prove to be the difference between a retail company’s success or failure. it all ultimately comes down to customer
experience, and in the wake of the coViD-19 pandemic, that experience is increasingly defined in the world of e-commerce. more orders are being placed online and customers are easier to reach than ever before, but that growth brings increasing demand on the supply chain to fulfil these orders. and make no mistake, order fulfilment is now one of the defining differentiators between retail competitors. software and robotics are at the forefront of
tackling this challenge, with human workers and technology operating symbiotically to fulfil seasonal and one-off spikes in demand. the fast-evolving online ecosystem brings with it new challenges, in particular around large- scale returns systems needed for large online retailers. technological supply chain solutions provide the answer, but they must be designed for the long-term, with flexibility and scalability baked in, if retailers are to maximise the potential of the shift online.
intelligent e-commerce the digital revolution has ushered in an unprecedented period of growth and opportunity for retailers around the globe. the distance between customer and product is shorter than ever before. the e-commerce market is already booming, and set to rise to £80 billion in the uK alone in 2021. the adoption of supply chain management
by integrating software into their operations, supply chains are able to handle greater capacity and variation of merchandise without disrupting fulfilment, explains ian abbot, director, solution development at dematic.
software has been essential to facilitating this evolution, with scalable solutions for meeting new demand being sought across myriad sectors. When human workers operate in tandem with an intelligent system which handles large datasets, warehouse operators find the best results for customers. this is one of the reasons that Dematic has invested heavily in its own software solution, with real- time updates it can provide on how warehouse time is utilised is becoming vital to embedding efficiency and flexibility into the fabric of warehouse operations. as demand continues to increase and we see more sharp fluctuations in sales, retailers can better home in on inefficiencies in the supply chain, resulting in better use of space, labour, and equipment to make sure online orders are fulfilled accurately, on time and within budget.
automating FulFilment intelligent technology has not just impacted the user-facing end of the supply chain, but is also transforming the warehouse floor and evolving the relationship between people and technology in the supply chain. automated Guided Vehicles (aGVs), for
example, came into their own during the coViD- 19 pandemic, when national and regional lockdowns, self-isolation requirements and illness often decimated the number of available workers in the warehouse. but even now those immediate threats have receded, aGVs continue to prove their value in warehouses around the
world, becoming an indispensable asset not just for the improvements they make to employee safety around the warehouse, but also for their flexibility and control functions. Dematic’s driverless vehicles operate on planned routes around warehouses and logistics centres, able to intelligently distinguish between merchandise on the shelf as well as in the pallet. the benefits of these types of automated
solutions have really been felt in the grocery sector, where distribution centres need to separate different types of fresh food products for food safety reasons. aGVs can read barcodes and differentiate between different products, meaning they can safely and efficiently move fresh produce without risk of contamination. the precision with which these systems operate under is far more effective than a human
20 september 2021 | Factory&hanDlinGsolutions
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74
