Supply Chain Insights | Issue Seven

Supply Chain Insights

Doing More with Less

How to Strengthen for the Future

About The Magazine

Published quarterly to a circulation of 20,000 + industry professionals across Australia, New Zealand and the wider Asia-Pacific region, Supply Chain Insights Magazine is focused on helping you solve the complexities of today's supply chain. The digital magazine highlights the latest trends, operational strategies, technology advancements and best practice within the logistics industry.

Welcome to Supply Chain Insights Magazine

- your primary source of industry news, focused on innovation, technology and knowledge-sharing in the logistics sector.

In this edition, a panel of supply chain industry experts address the challenges stemming from the current economic landscape. Drawing from their expertise, Travis Erridge (Chief Executive at TMX Global), Michael Bradshaw (Senior Director of Systems and Solutions Design at Dematic Asia), Raghav Sibal (Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand at Manhattan), and Royston Phua (Vertical Strategy Lead for Asia Pacific Supply Chains at Zebra Technologies) provide practical recommendations for strengthening and enhancing supply chain operations in the face of economic uncertainties.

We also hear from John O'Connor and Miranda Braga from Deloitte, who delve into the complexities and opportunities of building a sustainable supply chain in an era defined by climate risks and the imperative for a low-carbon future. There is a growing recognition of the severity of climate risks and the urgent need to address them, placing increasing pressure on organisations

to reduce their carbon footprint and mitigate the environmental impact of their operations. Examining the integration of sustainability into supply chain frameworks and exploring key steps, such as policy adaptation, stakeholder buy-in, and leveraging tools and technology, O’Connor and Braga discuss practical strategies for driving transformative change and aligning supply chain goals with sustainability objectives.

Highlighting themes that collectively shape efficient and future-proof supply chain operations, we explore how Dematic's Multishuttle GTP solution significantly increased throughput for AS Colour, Appian discusses factors impacting global supply chains and the role of technology in enhancing operations, Peacock Bros share their perspectives on embracing RFID technology, and Pattern reveals valuable insights on crossdocking for e-commerce brands.

We hope that you enjoy this edition of our magazine and look forward to hearing your feedback!

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News & Insights

Introducing Inghams Group’s New 5-Star Green Star Facility in Adelaide

ANZ’s largest poultry provider Inghams Group has opened a new warehouse next to its processing plant in Edinburgh, South Australia.

Designed to a 5-Star Green Star rating, the 15,380 sqm fridge and freezer facility has 1,000kw of solar panels installed on its roof. Sophisticated and highly efficient refrigeration systems are projected to slash electrical consumption by half, in comparison to older plants.

These features, plus the site’s proximity next to the company’s processing plant, demonstrate the company’s effort towards reducing carbon emissions.

“Working closely with our property and supply chain partner TMX Global, we have designed a facility under 5-Star Green Star guidelines that will drive operational efficiencies and improve our ability to service customers across Australia and internationally,” Inghams National Distribution Manager Chris Ong said.

“To deliver a project of this size in Adelaide, through global supply chain challenges, is a testament to the collaboration of Inghams, TMX, Texco, and Goodman.”

Goodman developed the site and Texco built the facility. TMX Global managed the multidisciplinary project from end-toend, providing distribution centre design,

technical scoping, property procurement, and construction delivery management.

The Edinburgh centre is the second of three new warehouses TMX Global is delivering for Inghams. The first facility opened in Truganina, in Melbourne’s west, last year. The third facility, in Hazelmere, Western Australia, will open later this year. ●

Automated, Collaborative Mobile Robots Increase Warehouse Productivity by 2.5x and Close the Gap on Labour Shortages

Zebra Technologies, an innovator at the front line of business with solutions and partners that deliver a performance edge, has announced its progress in creating connected automation solutions to help warehouse operators increase productivity by 2.5x, double throughput and reclaim 15% of their space.

Electrical components distributor Waytek has deployed Zebra Fetch automated mobile robots (AMRs) to make its distribution facility more efficient and free workers from certain manual tasks since deployment. By leveraging FetchCore software that can be deployed on Zebra enterprise-grade tablets, Waytek employees can check the status and direct the movement of the AMRs.

Over the past 18 months, Zebra has expanded its investments in robotics automation. Since its acquisition of Fetch

Manhattan Associates Launches the Next-Generation Yard Management Solution

Manhattan Associates has announced its re-imagined Manhattan Active® Yard Management solution to expand the company’s vision of a unified supply chain. By redesigning yard management to work seamlessly with its industry leading warehouse and transportation management solutions on a single cloud native platform, Manhattan is completing the digital unification of distribution and logistics where they come together in the physical world.

This unified approach creates optimisation opportunities that aren’t possible with traditional siloed systems. The cutting-edge solution offers a digital twin representation of the yard, providing users with real-time insights and dynamic updates to help teams identify risks and opportunities quickly. This gives users clear visibility to every dock door and yard position, the trailers at each location, trailer

Robotics, Zebra has launched new AMRs including FlexShelf, which increases productivity up to three times by augmenting workers with robots that are 60% faster and carry larger and heavier payloads than other robots. The company has also introduced the RollerTop Guide AMR, designed to automate point-to-point materials movement with a mobile conveyor section that can transport items to/from fixed conveyor systems and FetchCore™ Fulfillment software which optimises picking operations. According to Zebra’s most recent Warehousing Vision Study, 92% of warehouse staff surveyed believe that technological advancement will make the warehouse environment more attractive to workers. To complement its investments in robotics and further automate workflows and augment

workers, Zebra launched its award-winning fixed industrial scanning and machine vision solutions and acquired Matrox Imaging which has an impressive patent portfolio including advanced vision capabilities. ●

status, the contents of those trailers, real time progress of inbound and outbound warehouse operations, as well as information related to pending arrivals and movement within the yard.

“Manhattan Active Yard Management perfectly combines warehouse and transportation planning and execution

to create a truly unified supply chain,” said Blake Coram, Director of Product Management for Manhattan Associates. “Infusing the yard decision process with intelligence from both warehouse and transportation drives optimal yard execution, more efficient warehouses, and faster and smarter transportation networks.” ●

Toll Group Selects Dematic as Automation Partner for its Latest Australian Warehouse Facility

Dematic has announced that Toll Group, one of the Asia-Pacific region’s largest providers of supply chain transport and logistics, is investing in a Dematic goods-to-person (GTP) order fulfilment solution as part of the development of its new Western Sydney retail distribution and fulfillment facility.

Schedulued to be fully operational in 2025, the new site will be located at Kemps Creek, near Western Sydney International Airport, and complements Toll’s existing Sydney retail distribution and fulfilment facility in Prestons.

Toll Group President, Retail and Consumer, Nick Vrckovski says, “Toll has a long and proud history in Australia. For over 130 years, our curiosity and passion for innovation has propelled us forward to become one of Asia-Pacific region’s leading

integrated logistics providers.”

“We are excited to work with Dematic to bring the very best in automation technology to our Kemps Creek facility, which will help us deliver goods faster and more efficiently to our customers,” adds Vrckovski.

In the Dematic GTP order fulfilment solution, workers will build orders in ergonomically designed high-rate workstations that improve productivity, efficiency, and safety. The orders and items required to fulfil the orders arrive at the workstation precisely when they are needed from a Dematic Multishuttle® storage system.

The solution for Toll Group will include 16 high-rate GTP workstations, supplied by a Multishuttle system that will also buffer and consolidate orders, plus an additional Multishuttle system for despatch.

“The high-density Dematic Multishuttle system will feed items into the GTP workstations, allowing Toll to maximise space efficiency and inventory storage within its latest supply chain facility in Australia. We’ve designed the solution with additional room for volume expansion in line with Toll’s projected future growth,” explains Terry Jamieson, Business Development Manager at Dematic.

“Additionally, the fast-moving pick zones integrated within the GTP order fulfilment solution will provide Toll with a significant improvement in picking productivity as well as flexibility in responding to e-commerce demands, including fulfilling orders during promotional periods or when particular SKUs are in high demand.”

Another advantage will be the ability to customise e-commerce order cartons to be the smallest necessary size, which will lower transportation costs for Toll’s customers as well as significantly reduce waste.

Dematic will also install its locally manufactured Colby Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) pallet storage racking at the Toll facility.

Toll Group’s Kemps Creek facility is due for completion in 2025. ●

Matahari Evolves its DC Network with Manhattan Associates Technology

Matahari Putra Puma Tbk (MPPA) retail group is one of the largest retailers in Indonesia, focused primarily on fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) such as grocery, electronics, cosmetics, clothes, and accessories.

Since it was established in 2004, the company has grown to include brands like Hyper Market, Foodmart and Foodmart Express, HyFresh, and Primo convenient stores. This expansion has seen MPPA rapidly grow market share in Indonesia, becoming the FMCG market leader in the country.

With a store network numbering into the hundreds across Indonesia, and carrying 13,000 different SKUs, MPPA needed to optimise its logistics infrastructure and network. This led to the company to develop five strategic distribution centres (DC) that would serve its retail network and meet direct customer demand.

Unlocking the Potential of its Fulfillment Centres

To ensure that its DCs worked in concert to serve stores accurately and quickly, MPPA required a warehouse management system (WMS) that gave visibility across its entire inventory and helped

manage supply chain fulfillment operations from the warehouse to the store shelf.

After conducting a thorough audit of all available options, MPPA chose Manhattan Associates to unlock the potential of its fulfilment centres. Manhattan WMS was chosen to advance MPPA’s operations beyond basic picking, packing, and shipping to evolve and enhance the hyper-flow of goods and information through its DC and store network.

Manhattan’s Warehouse Management for Open Systems, was also chosen for its ability to be integrated with MPPA’s main and back-office financial systems and other legacy applications,

whilst also reducing human intervention and reliance on intuition as much as possible.

Modernising Key DC Processes

MPPA has evolved many key DC processes to ensure its supply chain operations are as accurate and effective as possible. One of the key operations that have been modernised in conjunction with Warehouse Management includes the introduction of voice picking.

When DC workers use an RF gun as part of the picking process, they have to switch between handling the RF device and the goods that they

need to pick. As a result, MPPA also investigated and adopted voice picking solutions to drive further efficiency for fulfillment operations.

By using voice picking technology, a picker’s hands

collecting the goods.

All instructions are voice-based, and the system and picker can communicate with each other without any manual hand-based in-puts. MPPA has seen an increased picking efficiency of 15%-20% since adopting voice picking technology, which runs in conjunction with Warehouse Management.

A Cloud-First Future

In 2020, MPPA made the decision to have the Warehouse Management application hosted by Manhattan Associates in a datacentre located in Japan. Considering data confidentiality concerns, the decision to trust a vendor - Manhattan Associates - to host and manage the application, as well as the cost of decommissioning recently purchased hardware, was a significant decision. However, since making this move, MPPA have found the benefits greatly outweigh their initial concerns.

The company has realised greater application stability and uptime running at their three DCs across the Java Mainland and Surabaya.

Manhattan Associates.

This new deployment approach means MPPA only have to arrange and maintain a fast and dedicated internet connection.

Warehouse Management helps MPPA determine the best location to increase efficiency, shorten fulfilment cycles, and maximise throughput. It intelligently optimises every shipment in real-time across all transportation options and allows MPPA to focus solely on how to deliver goods from DC to stores fast and accurately.

MPPA’s commitment to innovation and improving key supply chain processes to meet store and customer demand has resulted in a modern DC network, supported by advanced technology that will scale and evolve in line with its business needs –now and into the future. ●

For more information visit: manh.com

are free, so they can focus on

They no longer need to be concerned about daily server maintenance, back-ups, continuity, and sustainability – everything is now managed entirely by

Are Multi-Storey Warehouses Finally Stacking up in Sydney?

WRITTEN BY NATHAN CAIRNEY & DOMINIC SORBARA TMX GLOBAL

Multi-storey warehouses have long been touted as a rising trend in Australia.

Many FMCG and online retailers have multiple storeys in parts of their facilities to support sophisticated automated materials handling systems. Landlords are planning multi-storey warehouses capable of accommodating multiple tenancies across multiple storeys, to maximise the gross lettable area yielded from land parcels in constrained locations.

Right now, across the Sydney basin alone, there are more than a dozen public – many not yet public – multi-storey warehouse and distribution centres in various stages of planning and delivery.

Soaring land prices, record-low vacancy rates, limited supply of appropriately zoned land close to seaport and airport nodes, and population densities, are influencing development decision-making and sending warehouses skyward in South Sydney, although the trend stretches north to Macquarie Park and west to Blacktown.

During the past 18-24 months, as some of these developments were being planned, industrial rental growths skyrocketed. A perfect storm of soaring demand spurred by the intra and post-pandemic impacts to the sector, plus constrained supply and a bottlenecked planning system, has seen industrial rents growing 30-40% year-on-year.

Given this rise, how much farther can we expect to see these warehouses sprawl in location and occupier profile? Applications for multi-storey warehousing are cropping up southwest of Sydney as far as the M7 motorway.

As with any new trend, there are always a few who blaze the trail, and this is true with the three facilities under construction in South Sydney. Each of these facilities possess differing floor-to-floor heights, sizes of floor plates, ratios of office-to-warehouse space, approaches to carparking and connectivity to offices, and hardstand configurations and

dimensions. The occupiers secured for these facilities span construction, manufacturing, third-party logistics, and online grocery, and the tenancies range from 2,000-8,000 sq m.

Only time will be the judge of which is most successful and appropriate to the local market, and this first wave may lead the market long-term – or could be an example of what-not-to-do for the next wave, who may pivot before breaking ground on the second wave of multi-storey warehousing.

Some key lessons can already be learned. Gone are the days that the concept design prior to DA consists of a few architectural, civil, and landscape plans and “the builder can do the rest”. A multi-disciplinary design team should be engaged much earlier than they would on a single-storey warehouse. Detailed design coordination between architectural, structural, civil, mechanical, fire engineer, and BCA consultant is paramount. Ramp gradients, heavy vehicle access, and hardstand configuration, along with the user mix and how each of these will be viewed by users, must be worked through in early planning and design. Capital investment value estimates on recently submitted applications suggest there is a scale of economy available on site yielding circa

40,000m²+ of GLA that isn’t represented in the sub-20,000m² GLA sites. This will be an interesting factor to monitor as more of these facilities convert from planning to construction, and local contractors become more experienced with these warehouses.

The Australian market’s concentration on “last-mile logistics” and the surge in e-commerce are also chief drivers of the multistorey warehouse boom. Last-mile logistics, or last-mile delivery, is often the largest portion of overall logistics costs. And it is this aspect that the planned developments are banking on to justify occupiers paying higher rents to be near major transport hubs, or their own last-mile local delivery catchments to optimise delivery to their customers.

More and more multi-storey warehouses will shoot up in the coming years, and they will be the right logistics choice for many businesses. But despite this surge, every business must ensure their site procurement is given careful upfront evaluation, understanding the potential trade-offs between functionality and location. It is only with this crucial first step that a business can be confident in making the best longterm commercial and operational decision for its supply chain. ●

Maximise Your Business Operations with Zebra’s ET6X Series Tablets

In today's fast-paced business landscape, maximising productivity and streamlining operations is crucial for success. The key lies in equipping frontline workers, such as retail staff, warehouse employees and delivery drivers, with the right tools to enhance their performance.

In Zebra’s 2027 Global Warehousing Vision Study, nearly nine in 10 decision makers agree that technology advancement will make the warehouse environment more attractive to workers, while 92% will be equipping their workers with rugged tablets by 2027.

Enterprise tablets that are purpose-built for specific front-line workers and applications will always end up being the better investment, even if the upfront cost is higher than other devices. Considering that quality is a cost-saving factor, investing in the right tools for workers will lead to significant gains in efficiency, productivity, and financial performance. In particular, Zebra recognises the increasing adoption of Android within the enterprise space over the next few years, hence its decision to introduce a new player to the market: the ET60/ET65 rugged tablets.

Zebra’s ET60/ET65 tablets are the enterprise-grade big screen devices your workers are looking for.

As Zebra’s first IP66 rated tablets, the devices have undergone extensive real-world testing and are designed to withstand harsh environments, redefining ruggedness. They are drop-tested to concrete, resistant to the elements, and capable of withstanding extreme temperatures as the first freezer-rated tablet on the market. These tablets are corrosion-proof and tested for vibration, thermal shock, and solar radiation. With their robustness, the ET60/ET65 tablets excel in diverse settings, including warehouses, manufacturing plants, ports, field services, and public safety operations. A battery-less variant of the enterprise tablet also provides seamless and reliable operation specifically designed for vehicle forklift usage. The display and optional scanner exit window are shatter- and scratch-resistant, and easily cleaned Corning® Gorilla® Glass, ensuring durability. The devices can be used in bright sunlight, with the screen yielding a

super bright 1000-nit display for excellent visibility. Moreover, their design ensures a long lifespan of at least four years from its launch date, providing an excellent return on investment. That’s something shareholders and business leaders will understand when they see productivity and efficiency improvements directly resulting from enterprise tablet utilisation. Zebra has also developed a groundbreaking tablet specifically designed for freezer environments, marking a significant milestone as the first freezer-rated tablet on the market. They also offer a battery free variant of the enterprise tablet, providing seamless and reliable operation specifically designed for vehicle forklift usage. Rugged enterprise-grade devices like the ET60/ ET65 can offer unparalleled flexibility. Utilising the patent-pending vehicle dock, they can be transformed into vehicle mount computers suitable for forklifts and material-handling vehicles. Notably, they are freezer-ready, and the display and optional keyboard are equipped with heating capabilities when docked in a forklift—a unique feature not found in other tablets. When additional data entry is required, the friction hinge keyboard accessory can be easily attached, transforming the ET60/ET65 series into efficient laptops.

These ET60/ET65 tablets boast an array of features that make them the most powerful in their class. They support the fastest networks and future technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning, while offering a comprehensive range of wireless connections, including Wi-Fi 6E and 5G. As the batteries are removable, tablets never go out of service for charging. Moreover, a battery-free option is available for vehicle mounting, eliminating the need for battery management. Advanced security features, timely OS patches, and security updates through Zebra's LifeGuard™ for Android™ ensure robust device protection. Barcode capture is also effortless, thanks to the integrated camera or the optional SE55 1D/2D Advanced Range scan engine, capable of reading barcodes in various conditions.

All Zebra devices also come with Mobility DNA, which drives workforce productivity and device value to new levels. The industry’s most complete and proven software tool, Mobility DNA makes your tablets easier to use and maintain — devices can stage themselves right out of the box, no handson required; integrating barcode data into your apps without writing code; managing Bluetooth accessories; restricting apps to keep workers focused on the job; capturing all barcodes required with one press of the scan button — and much more.

By investing in the right tools for workers and prioritising quality over cost-saving measures, businesses can unlock the potential for improved employee performance, streamlined operations, and enhanced customer experiences. With Zebra's Mobility DNA software tools further optimising device usage and maintenance, the ET60/ET65 tablets prove to be valuable assets for businesses seeking to maximise productivity and drive success in today's competitive landscape. ●

For more information visit: zebra.com

Enterprise-grade devices need to have reliable battery power for extended shifts, high-capacity standards and extended battery options.

Embracing rugged business tablets like the ET60/ET65 from Zebra can significantly enhance productivity and business efficiency, offering durability, powerful performance, advanced security, and effortless data capture.

Doing More with Less: How to Strengthen for the Future

Supply

Today’s supply chain manager is faced with the ongoing challenge of finding ways to streamline operations and maintain high levels of customer satisfaction, while also dealing with limited capital and resources at the same time.

In parallel, technology is continuing to transform the supply chain landscape, with elements of automation, robotics, data analytics, artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things now essential in operating a successful and efficient supply chain operation.

While the pace of supply chain transformation has rapidly increased, there’s a shift in consumer spending and it’s starting to slow down. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics released at the end of May revealed that Australian retail sales were flat in April 2023, as consumers who face high living costs and rising interest rates have cut back spending on food, shopping and dining out.

Retail sales were also down -0.8% year-on-year early in the year in Singapore, where even the return of overseas visitors following the easing of COVID restrictions was not enough to offset the negative impact of surging prices.

“There’s definitely been a decrease in people’s disposable income and as a result discretionary

SUPPLY CHAIN INSIGHTS FEATURE

Supply chains throughout the world are weathering enormous strain. From consumer pressures, to rising transport costs, to property constraints and an ongoing imperative to reduce costs and increase efficiency.

Here,

Chain Insights explores a number of different coping strategies as well as ways to do more with less.

spending has started to come down,” Travis Erridge, Chief Executive at TMX Global said.

This downturn is also happening alongside one of the most challenging periods on record for global supply chains.

“While the rate of rising general costs should be expected to stabilise, an underlying shortage of workers will keep upwards pressure on wages and the cost of labour. Land will not get any less scarce, and the ongoing increase in urbanisation will continue to drive up the cost of land and building space for a long time to come,” said Michael Bradshaw, Senior Director of Systems and Solutions Design at Dematic Asia.

For TMX’s Travis Erridge, there’s a secondary part of the narrative which is rising power costs, inflationary pressure on wages, and an upward trend on cost to serve.

“This is presenting a really challenging environment for retailers and supply chain organisations to operate in,” he said.

Similarly, Royston Phua, Vertical Strategy Lead for Asia Pacific Supply Chains from Zebra Technologies says that even without the challenge of inflation, there is still the traditional shortages in products, materials, and labour that continue to disrupt supply chains worldwide.

“All of this change and disruption indicates the need to rethink and transform the supply chain – but the challenge is, how can this be achieved in a capital light environment and the honest to goodness truth here is, there is no quick fix,” Royston said.

Manhattan’s Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand Raghav Sibal says a lot of focus is now on cost optimisation. “Traditionally, businesses would turn to cost reduction in challenging times but now businesses are asking the questions around how do I make my supply chain more connected? How can I manage my inventory more efficiently? It’s more about cost optimisation now than simple cost cutting,” he explained.

“Land will not get any less scarce, and the ongoing increase in urbanisation will continue to drive up the cost of land and building space for a long time to come.”

MICHAEL BRADSHAW, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF SYSTEMS AND SOLUTIONS DESIGN, DEMATIC ASIA

“It’s a trying time, there’s no question about it.”

Don’t lose sight of the long term

Michael Bradshaw from Dematic warns against reducing investment in the supply chain as he says losing sight of the bigger picture in supply chain operations could be extremely costly in the long-term.

“Some businesses have chosen a ‘do nothing’ approach, hoping the situation will blow over and things will return to how they were. In almost all cases where I’ve seen this kind of strategy employed, businesses find themselves well on the back foot in terms of competitiveness and in their ability to cope with further changes that inevitably happen.”

“While there are many solutions that can be adopted with technology and automation, even the options that can be relatively fast to implement often take significant time to evaluate, plan, and integrate. Skipping over this phase of evaluation and planning is also likely to bring about shortfalls in taking advantage of the opportunities that are presented in addressing today’s challenges,” Michael said.

Similarly, TMX Travis Erridge says he has seen some organisations stop investing in their supply chain – or take their foot off the accelerator – thinking they have some breathing room while sales are down.

“I would warn any organisation away from doing this. The first thing to come back after a recession is discretionary spending and this is going to be predominately e-comm. The consumer is forever changed, and they will not be running back into stores to purchase goods. The omni-channel offering will need to be even better than it is today to deal with the next influx of consumer spending – and this is going to take a lot of work for many organisations,” he said.

Michael believes that businesses that see opportunities in the challenges and take action are the ones that will be far more resilient and adaptable to the new changes and challenges when they come along.

“Businesses that have a good handle on their customer’s requirements, their operations, and their costs are far better placed to adapt to change using appropriate measures. Digital transformation has been a key strategic pillar for many businesses and important for positioning them to fit into the new digital world,” he explained.

“How can I manage my inventory more efficiently? It’s more about cost optimisation now than simple cost cutting.”

RAGHAV SIBAL, MANAGING DIRECTOR ANZ, MANHATTAN ASSOCIATES

Illuminating the supply chain with real-time decision making

While some businesses are starting to tighten their supply chain transformation budgets, one area of tech and transformation that cannot be overlooked is data and analytics.

“We’re still seeing a high level of investment and resources go into illuminating the supply chain to be able to make real-time decisions,” said Travis.

Manhattan’s Raghav says the investment in tech and data analytics is all about building resilient supply chains. “When we think about it at a very high level, it's all building a more resilient, dynamic supply chain. We're going to see continued investment in automation and overall visibility across the supply chain. For the movement of goods across the supply chain, we need to have visibility and monitoring of what's going on at all times,” he explained.

For Royston, supply chain 4.0 and the digitisation of supply chains is still a major priority for business leaders. “Having a digital supply chain where all the different ecosystem players are actually working in unison and are able to capture whatever data that is required and then process it accordingly into meaningful information can really help to manage operational risks and to leverage opportunities.”

One innovative technology that businesses are starting to explore, is the metaverse. According to McKinsey, the metaverse is the emerging 3-D-enabled digital space that uses virtual reality, augmented reality, and other advanced internet and semiconductor technology to allow people to have lifelike personal and business experiences online.

With lots of organisations having no choice but to stay put in their current facility, the metaverse is helping organisations visualise what can be optimised in their current environment.

“The great thing about the Metaverse is that we can put the DC in a virtual environment and work out the best way to optimise it. We can simulate what’s happening in there and then come back and present it to the client. Having the ability to optimise in the virtual environment without any impact on service levels or current operation is truly revolutionary for some of our clients,” said Travis.

Collaboration in a crisis

Another helpful tool that does not require a significant amount of investment is collaboration –with suppliers, partners, and customers.

“The initial response and reaction to the pandemic where companies started to build and stockpile inventory is going to have to change – and I think that’s already happening. I'm not sure if it's going to go back to just in time, but what we will start to see is more collaboration between suppliers. This is going to become very important because companies will have to try and access deals and negotiate better terms with their suppliers and partners during this challenging period,” Raghav said.

Travis explains that as we go into a capital light environment, organisations should be looking into who they can partner with to come out of this period stronger, “IT, web, and CRM providers have been creating partnership ecosystems for years – achieving great outcomes too. Can we do that in a physical environment with sharing freight and warehouse space for example? It will be interesting to see how these ideas develop in this downturn,” he said.

Similarly for Zebra Technologies, Royston said there are numerous innovative partnerships already taking place in warehousing and transport and logistics. “We’re seeing lots of partnerships across the supply chain really start to take shape and benefit operators and customers with business intelligence and cost savings when times are tough.”

“The first thing to come back after a recession is discretionary spending and this is going to be predominately e-comm. The consumer is forever changed...”

TRAVIS ERRIDGE, CO-FOUNDER & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, TMX

“The collaboration element with suppliers is going to be very important this year, if companies can get better deals and negotiate better terms with their suppliers then these changes can really help when profits are down,” he added.

“The disruption is here to stay, and we don’t know when it will ever go back to normal. For that reason, it’s imperative to modernise and digitise the supply chain.”

ROYSTON PHUA, VERTICAL PRACTICE LEAD, APAC SUPPLY CHAIN, ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES

“The initial response and reaction to the pandemic where companies started to build and stockpile inventory is going to have to change – and I think that’s already happening.”

“This is an opportunity to look across the entire operation and think about what is required from an end-to-end supply chain connectivity point of view and ask for it.”

Plotting the path to supply chain success

Looking ahead and offering advice on the next steps for a supply chain manager in today’s environment, Raghav says that as the role of the supply chain manager has increased in visibility at board level –it’s time to make the most of this opportunity.

“Now is the time to make those asks about investment in tech or new systems needed. I think sometimes in the past, many supply chain leaders knew about the changes they needed to make – but didn’t have the right voice or seat at the table to make it happen. This is an opportunity to look across the entire operation and think about what is required from an end-to-end supply chain connectivity point of view and ask for it,” he said.

Royston recognises the very challenging and nerve-wracking job of a supply chain manager. “The first piece of advice I would give is truly embrace risk and invest in your supply chain. The disruption is here to stay, and we don’t know when it will ever go back to normal. For that reason, it’s imperative to modernise and digitise the supply chain,” he explains.

For Royston, with digital transformation in the supply chain it’s possible to think big but start small – the most important thing is to accept and embrace risk.

Further, Michael says the path to success involves taking the time to understand the challenges that could affect your business and the opportunities that addressing these might present.

“Invest time in identifying and evaluating options that will bring the right benefits to your operations (whether it be productivity, space efficiency, accuracy, speed, capacity, flexibility or all of these things), and also evaluate the right partner to work with. With the available solutions becoming more and more complex, navigating such a process requires specialist expertise to not only design and plan them, but also to implement and support them over the lifecycle. Choosing the right partner with the right capabilities and experience is critical to success,” he adds.

For Travis, it’s all about keeping focused on the long-term strategy – even in a downturn. “Keep doing what you’re doing in terms of looking into the future and focusing on supply chain transformation and digitisation,” he concluded. ●

AS Colour Meets Current and Future Growth with New Automated Auckland DC

Automation delivers an increased throughput of 344% per worker

AS Colour is a designer, manufacturer, and distributor of premium apparel, operating as a wholesaler and retailer in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, and USA.

Starting out in New Zealand in 2005 as a supplier of quality blank apparel for sportswear, music industry and events merchandise, and company promotional wear, AS Colour now operates from five warehouses in Auckland, Melbourne, Los Angeles, North Carolina, and Leighton Buzzard (Bedfordshire, UK), with 25 retail stores across New Zealand, Australia, and the UK.

AS Colour embarked on a strategy to support the company’s expected growth over the next decade. This transformation included more efficient warehouse operations, improved environmental performance and greater supply chain resilience.

The Previous Manual Warehouse

In its previous Auckland distribution centre (DC) AS Colour used manual processes to pick orders, which

involved RF technology used in conjunction with trolleys. This saw warehouse operators walking up and down aisles searching for products, scanning the location with an RF device, picking it, placing it in a trolley and then walking it to the dispatch area for packing. At the same time, stock was also being replenished into the aisles with forklifts and other equipment.

Using these manual processes, AS Colour was continually struggling to get all the necessary orders fulfilled within the working day.

“In a conventional warehouse environment with manual processes a significant amount of time is wasted by workers. This includes a lot of time spent travelling up and down the aisles and to dispatch, as well as tracking down the exact location of products needed to fulfil orders, putting down hardware like RF devices to pick products and then having to pick them up again,” explained Seth van Dijk, Business Development Manager, Dematic.

“Manual workflows can also reduce safety and accuracy in the DC. Whenever there are warehouse operators and materials handling equipment such as forklifts in the same zone it adds an extra level of risk. And when workers are having to find the picking location, scan and then look away to put down their RF device there can be errors by picking the wrong item.”

Automation Fit for the New Warehouse

As part of its strategy to support future growth and after outgrowing its previous warehouse, AS Colour built a brand new 7,500 square metre DC in Auckland, which doubles as the company’s head office.

“Due to AS Colour’s growth over the last 5-10 years, we have outgrown many distribution facilities. So, we started looking at a new facility for New Zealand to keep up with the rising demand. That led us to purchasing land and building a brandnew facility, which was focused on the automation that we put in this building,” said Lawrence Railton, Managing Director, AS Colour.

A key automation feature of the new DC was the deployment of the Dematic Multishuttle® Goodsto-Person (GTP) solution to help drive operational efficiencies and reduce the overall size and power requirements of its warehouse. AS Colour was the first company to install the Dematic Multishuttle GTP system in the New Zealand market.

“We upgraded to a new DC to support future growth of our business and to enable automation of our operations so that we could move from a traditional pick and pack facility to the future. This transformation has future proofed us for where we aspire to be and where we project the business is heading,” said Justin Carnaby, Head of Logistics, AS Colour.

The Benefits of Automation for AS Colour

For AS Colour, the Multishuttle GTP system delivers superior high-density storage buffering, meaning that the company can store much more within the warehouse building cube than what they would have been able to within a conventional warehouse environment.

picking

The system stores 8,000 SKUs and the throughput is 5,000 lines per day (6am-5pm) over the six days a week the DC operates, with the capability to process 8,000+ lines per day. The previous DC cycle count only achieved 2,700 per month, whereas the new DC has dramatically increased this to 13,000 cycle counts per month.

“Land has become very expensive in New Zealand, so we had a goal of reducing the size of the building we needed. By helping us to achieve a smaller warehouse footprint at the new Auckland warehouse, the Dematic solution reduced our construction costs by about 30%,” said Lawrence. “Additionally, we’ve been able to increase our product storage capacity by about 35%, which has brought in more revenue and given us a buffer from any supply chain issues.”

For AS Colour, the introduction of automation has increased throughput per worker by 344%, from an average of 45 lines per hour to an average of over 200 lines per hour.

The system is capable of processing varied order types, including small e-commerce orders, medium and large B2B orders, as well as retail store fulfilment.

The modular, scalable Multishuttle is 18 levels high and consists of two aisles storing just under 20,000 totes, with additional built-in capacity for projected future growth. AS Colour delivers both the order tote and the product tote from the Multishuttle to four high-speed GTP workstations, where the warehouse operator picks the items from the product tote and places them in the order tote before it is conveyed to a dispatch sortation system for packing. Totes are then returned by conveyors and elevators to the Multishuttle to be used for further orders.

“The Multishuttle GTP has brought a lot more structure, order and tidiness to our DC. In our previous facility, we didn’t know where staff were or what volume of orders might come in at any time. With the new system we know we will have a steady flow of orders without spikes in volume, which is key to maintaining a smooth flow in our business,” said Lawrence.

Acting as a compact, high throughput automated storage and picking system, the Dematic solution features high-density tote storage and sequenced order picking for better productivity.

The GTP

stations allow warehouse operators to receive and pick products, which eliminates worker travel within the warehouse and leads to high levels of productivity and efficiency in order fulfilment processes.

Other benefits include decreased labour costs, plus a vast improvement in order accuracy, which reduces the number of unnecessary customer returns, leading to greater customer satisfaction.

“Key customer expectations for our business are that customers need their orders very quickly and accurately, so for instance, if there's a mistake in the quantity that's sent to them, that causes a lot of delays for our customers,” said Lawrence. “With our new automated supply chain facility what differentiates us is the speed, efficiency, and accuracy with which we’re able to get orders to customers. Today we can have orders placed online and be picking them within 30 minutes of the order being received by the WCS and sent down from the Multishuttle to the GTP, and then packed and out the door within a few hours.

The Dematic solution has removed the need for any workers to be travelling within warehouse aisles alongside materials handling equipment, which has drastically increased warehouse operator safety on the warehouse floor.

The Multishuttle GTP system now automatically conducts product audits in real time as warehouse operators pick, ensuring stock integrity in the warehouse at all times, which is a big improvement on the previous process where every two to three months AS Colour conducted manual cycle counting.

Another big goal for AS Colour was to completely remove single-use plastic from its supply chain.

“Traditionally apparel is packaged in plastics or paper, but what’s quite unique to AS Colour is the fact that they store the product loose and unpackaged within totes, which is the final package that is shipped to customers. This means it’s a more sustainable approach, which we’re very pleased the Dematic Multishuttle GTP system is able to facilitate by keeping the product clean and tidy,” said Seth.

The integration of Dematic’s WCS has given AS Colour a high level of visibility of its operations, allowing it to analyse processes and make ongoing improvements.

“Automation has helped management immensely.

“The Multishuttle GTP solution has been a game changer for our business, and we’ve actually seen a big increase in sales in New Zealand as a result of having it in place, because our customers can see how fast and accurately we can get their orders to them.”

It's enabled us to really hone in on where our process flow improvements needed to happen and has given us a much greater level of visibility of our operations,” said Justin. “It’s also really helped the operators by making their work much more interesting. They get to operate in a modern, worker friendly environment, and they feel really engaged with what they're doing here at the Auckland DC.”

A Long-term Automation Partnership

With the integration of an advanced automated warehouse solution, AS Colour has been able to distinguish itself with the highest level of speed and accuracy in a highly competitive retail market. The high-quality fit, fabric and finish of AS Colour’s garments is now supported by the efficiency of its automated supply chain and distribution operations.

Dematic continues to work closely with AS Colour to maintain and service the system regularly, as

well as ensure it is optimised and improved wherever possible so the company can get the most out of it.

When the whole business relies on the Multishuttle GTP system it’s vital to be able to seek support and fix problems really quickly, and with Dematic we can be confident that their technicians will come out as soon as possible, which is often only half an hour away,” said Lawrence.

“Dematic has been a really strong technology partner, helping us from a global perspective, and we see this as a long-term partnership as we continue to expand as a business in the future.” ●

“It was really important to us that Dematic had a local support team in New Zealand, as many suppliers don’t.”

How to Avoid These Three Common Automation Mistakes

WRITTEN BY RHYCE DAWSON, SENIOR CONSULTANT, TMX GLOBAL

Mistake 1 –Going it alone.

Instead: Establish a cross-functional team and be inclusive.

Many organisations underestimate the diverse skillsets needed to extract, share, and apply valuable insights. Often projects are led by a traditional procurement department with a black-and-white mentality, where bureaucratic layers stall critical project progression and momentum. A committed, cross-functional team who are supported to succeed is essential.

Secondly, where an organisation doesn’t employ skillsets such as engineering, or they exist but a large-scale automation project is new, it’s important to engage specialists.

Organisations often don’t know where to begin their digital transformation or automation journey. The business must change, but it may not have the people, processes, or capability to do so. There may be a lack of project formality, or inhouse skillsets to usefully comprehend the information moving through the organisation’s supply chain operation every day.

Sticking to key, guiding principles upfront can help make it a less daunting undertaking. Here is how your organisation can avoid the most common missteps.

Therefore, it’s essential to protect yourself and de-risk your projects by engaging external parties or upskilling your employees – often both.

In the same vein, at Gartner’s recent Supply Chain Symposium, Caroline Chumakov, Director Analyst of Gartner’s Supply Chain Practice spoke of the need for CSCOs to break down projects into component tasks and seek skills needed for those tasks across the entire organisation.

If design and implementation go wrong, they do so with spectacular cost.

While most organisations accept they need to automate their warehouse operations, they often don’t know what steps to take or when to take them. Here, Rhyce Dawson, Senior Consultant at TMX Global, reveals the most common automation mistakes – and how to avoid them.

Mistake 2 –Assuming you need to invest big. Instead: Don’t rush and start small.

What, when, and how to automate depends on where you are now and where you want to be in the future. Businesses need to ask themselves: “What is A, what is B, and how do l get from A to B?”  Companies may assume automation necessitates long lead times and multi-million-dollar investments. But, if due diligence is carried out upfront, opportunities for tactical initiatives pop up.

Take the process of selecting an automation vendor or solution: how can an organisation evaluate the options without knowing where they are, where they need to be, and then assessing the costs, challenges, and risks associated with any decision-making?

It does not always have to be a large-scale transformation. Often, incremental change in a warehouse results in automated solutions because they are the optimal choice.

But if an organisation ploughs ahead with a transformation plan and automation vendors, they may invest in a solution that does not drive the best outcome for their business – and at a significant cost.

An initial investment in an operational diagnostic often saves hundreds of thousands in operational costs through tactical operational improvements, and millions in preventative capital investments. Remember, automation is not always the answer.

Mistake 3 –Hesitating. Instead: Accept uncertainty and pull the trigger with a high degree of confidence.

Every operation changes gradually and can unintentionally become inefficient, unpredictable, and unsuitable for automation.

An operation is fluid regardless of the manual or automated status of the site. Vendors test the sensitivity of their designs, but the only thing that is certain is that design projections are never guaranteed. Project teams may increase their contingency plans or aim for perfection – both of which can kill the project.  Systems can be made up of a wonderful mechanical maze of conveyors; however, they can be modified, manipulated, and adapted in the future.   Use the data to drive the best solution for the organisation, and carry out due diligence independently, objectively, and accurately.

For more information visit: tmx.global

Case study:

Automation at a national scale

TMX partnered with Coles Group, one of Australia’s largest supermarkets, on a five-year automated fulfilment project. The investment in two of the largest and most productive automated distribution centres in the world (the first of which opened in Redbank, Queensland, this year) enables Coles to efficiently service 219 supermarkets and deliver higher service levels for customers. Working with Coles and additional partners WITRON Group, Goodman, and Richard Crooks Construction, TMX was engaged to develop highly technical design and architectural plans, procure property, and project manage the delivery of the facility –including integration of the automation.

Coles Group Chief Operating Officer, Matt Swindells said, “Compared to a manual warehouse, these new automated warehouses will be able to handle twice the amount of volume of goods on half the footprint. It’s game-changing.” ●

Data can predict where this might happen, but far too often these ‘what if’ moments paralyse a project.

Driving Towards a More Sustainable Supply Chain

WRITTEN BY JOHN O’CONNOR AND MIRANDA BRAGA, DELOITTE

In

recognition of both the severity of climate risks and the opportunities of a lowcarbon future, more and more organisations are making “net-zero” commitments, changing social expectations and regulatory environments, and expanding their sustainability programs and policies.

However, when it comes to delivering on these commitments, executives and supply chain leaders often lack visibility on how to translate corporate climate strategies into concrete planning decisions. This is an issue for the supply chain, as planning drives execution activities such as procurement, production, transportation, or warehousing, all of which are key contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in value chains globally.

How can an organisation’s environmental and social performance be measured?

An organisation’s environmental performance can be measured in many ways, including its energy consumption, alternative material substitution, and

waste reduction. The social context also includes many elements such as labour standards, modern slavery, community relations, and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

The effects of external supply chains on a company's social performance are much larger and more complex to manage than those of internal operations. The integration of ESG considerations into the sourcing process should be focused on ensuring that product and supplier selection works in such a way that it achieves an equilibrium between cost, availability, and sustainability.

What steps should be taken to establish a sustainable supply chain framework?

No matter where an organisation is on its sustainability journey, ambitious targets can galvanise action when set within a clear and sustainable framework tailored to its needs. The key steps to help establish a sustainable supply chain framework for organisations today should include:

1) Vision: Organisations need to translate their corporate sustainability commitments into supply chain goals, ensuring that these areas contribute to the business’s overall targets. The sustainability initiatives being delivered by suppliers should be analysed as part of this process.

2) Policy and governance: A sustainable supply chain requires a mindset shift, with adapted policies, governance, and processes that balance the ESG aspects with cost reduction targets.

Develop sustainable supply chain and procurement policies that clearly articulate the formalisation and implementation of all commitments (sustainable sourcing and procurement criteria along with an implementation plan).

3) Stakeholder buy-in: Demonstrate a clear business case for a sustainable strategy to enable stakeholder buy-in, both internally and right across the supply chain. It should highlight the benefits of responsible sourcing and procurement, such as the mitigation of risk factors, generation of cost savings, and the use of sustainability as a parameter in supply chain planning processes, allowing informed trade-offs between cost, quality, service and sustainability. Building a collaboration agenda with the main value chain players should also be a focus for organisations, as it can help surface innovation and solutions that address sustainability challenges.

4) Skills and competencies: Policies that drive awareness about sustainability – with support from committed leaders – are the key drivers of a successful organisational sustainability implementation. It's also important to develop staff understanding around the sustainability challenges an organisation faces and how they can contribute throughout the value chain to have an impact through sustainable practices.

5) Tools and technology: Enable minimised carbon emissions through optimised network and transport planning and sustainable, ethical sourcing and procurement using digital tools and technologies that monitor organisational sustainability metrics, both internally and externally. Digitisation is key to tracking the metrics and data that support a sustainable supply chain framework.

For example, D-Carb from Deloitte leverages supply chain planning in combination with product carbon footprint data. This enables businesses to make informed decisions on the journey to decarbonised value chains. D-Carb brings visibility on future CO2e emissions, compares emission scenarios, and triggers tangible actions across the extended value chain to operationalise climate strategy.

Facilitate responsible practices with sustainability metrics

Sustainability metrics quantify, measure, and benchmark environmental, social, and economic performance and help drive responsible sourcing in the supply chain. Metrics driven transparency also helps organisations to evaluate and reach their sustainability goals.

1) Environmental impact: It is important to integrate climate change considerations into all decision making, such as prioritising efficient product and vendor selection in their supplier assessment process. Joint efforts can help suppliers develop the capabilities they need to achieve carbon neutrality, enable a better environment for collaboration, and promote information sharing.

2) Social impact: Identify and measure activities that help develop supplier diversity and improve the well-being of society to make progress on ESG goals and objectives.

3) Economic impact: Identify how local communities and SMEs can be integrated into overall supply chains and promote sustainability by drawing from local resources and labour pools. This has a net positive impact on both social and economic measures.

4) Sustainable procurement: Monitor product innovation and manage the volume and value of orders placed with suppliers that comply with established sustainability strategies. Organisations can also articulate the commercial construct that promotes partnership in achieving common goals for the organisations involved.

5) Supplier management: Seek out external validation of GHG baselines and monitor response KPIs, including regular results from audits, such as percentage of non-conformance status in postaudit queries along with financial KPIs, such as percentage cost savings from carbon reduction.

Improving organisational sustainability and reporting on ESG are top of mind for today’s supply chain teams. While complex and evolving considerations and regulations mean there's no one way of getting it right, there’s a clear need for close monitoring of internal and external processes, with increased focus and transparency on suppler selection, product selection and the decision-making process in the supply chain.

Supply chain leaders face the challenge of translating these goals into actionable planning decisions. Leading organisations are rising to the occasion by integrating sustainability throughout their supply chain frameworks. They align their supply chain and procurement goals with corporate sustainability commitments, adopt enhanced or modernised policies and governance structures, and foster stakeholder buy-in. By emphasising collaboration, building skills, leveraging tools and technology, and implementing sustainability metrics, these organisations drive transformative change and pave the way for a sustainable future. ●

For more information on how your organisation can establish a sustainable supply chain framework, please visit: deloitte.com

Developing and embedding sustainable supply chain frameworks can empower organisations to reach their sustainability goals and achieve full compliance.

Manhattan Associates Integrates with Google Merchant Center to Provide Online Shoppers with Precise Delivery Dates

Manhattan Associates has announced an integration between Manhattan Active Omni and Google’s Merchant Center. The integration leverages Google’s Content API for Shopping to enable Manhattan Active Omni retailers to provide shoppers with more accurate location- and productspecific delivery times across Google surfaces, including Search, YouTube, Maps, Discover, and more.

Shipping speed plays a critical role in buying decisions as many shoppers will choose another retailer if their initial pick has a slower delivery time estimate than they expected.

According to a recent Digital Commerce 360 survey, 61% of shoppers are more likely to convert due to fast shipping speeds, and 39% due to guaranteed delivery times.

Through this integration, Manhattan is helping its customers meet those expectations and showcase their investments in fulfillment and delivery operations.

Once a retailer links their Manhattan Active Omni and Google Merchant Center accounts, Google’s Machine Learning (ML) models will use the historical shipping data from Manhattan’s industry leading order management system (OMS) to generate location- and product-specific delivery time estimates, which are far more accurate than the conservative delivery time estimates that most retailers publish today. In other words, the goal is for each shopper to see the best delivery time a participating retailer can offer, every time they interact with Google.

Linking Manhattan Active Omni with Google Merchant Center can be

done just by contacting your Manhattan representative. Without any additional cost or implementation effort, Manhattan customers can meaningfully improve ecommerce performance and customer experience.

“In today’s hypercompetitive online market, offering fast shipping and precise delivery dates can be an equalizer for retailers competing against players with deeper pockets or for more established brands looking to cut through the online noise,” said Sanjeev Siotia, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Manhattan Associates. “Sharing such decisive, differentiating information across Google is significant in a time where gaining the attention and loyalty of alwayson, omnichannel shoppers is becoming increasingly difficult.” ●

Five Reasons Retailers Need an MDM Solution in the Supply Chain Sector

WRITTEN BY MICHAEL DYSON, VP OF SALES, APAC, SOTI

Today, retail is facing new external pressures and feeling the impact of global events. Rising inflation rates, the supply chain crisis, and a rise in the cost of living has impacted the global economy. Consumer behaviours have shifted, and retailers need to meet heightened expectations to keep brand loyalty. Retailers are required to master both online and in-store experiences while rapidly adopting technologies to enhance the relationship between the two.

These cost factors inflate consumer expectations of goods and increase pressures on a retailer’s supply chain to perform optimally. In turn, business-critical mobile devices are becoming more strategic than ever, from handheld point of sale (POS) devices, mobile printers and barcode scanners to new app development and rollout. Retailers need to provide

accurate information throughout the entire supply chain and ultimately into the hands of the customers. In such an environment, technology and devices must be managed to ensure they are working as expected, protected against the latest security threats, and delivering a positive return on investment (ROI). Here are five key reasons why a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution is required in the supply chain sector today.

1. Enhance Security

The amount of personal and business data stored on devices used in the logistics and retail sector is staggering, including names and addresses, payment or credit card details, inventory information, delivery schedules and more. Customers trust retailers to keep their personal information safe. When a credit card data breach occurs, for example, it costs a business an average of $4.24 million USD. However, the loss of trust is even more devastating, as 83% of U.S. consumers would stop spending with a retailer immediately after a security breach.

2. Reduce Downtime

Self-serve kiosks, scanners, smart shopping carts and mPOS devices only benefit customers when they work. When they go down – and nobody onsite can fix the issue – the result is a poor customer experience. However, even keeping surplus replacement parts on hand can be costly.

Consumers want to get in and out of stores as quickly as possible.

5. Boost Your Brand

An MDM solution can help your organisation boost its business and make it instantly memorable and identifiable. That could mean ensuring logos and colours appear consistently on all brand assets or that digital signage is constantly updated with the latest and greatest information customers need to know.

They will abandon their purchase, especially if they’re waiting in the checkout line. Retailers have lost $555 billion USD because of shoppers leaving due to long checkout lines.

3. Integrate Systems

The retail supply chain stretches from the warehouse to the customer’s front door and all points in between, including the delivery truck, the distribution centre, and the store shelf. The technologies required to manage these different systems must communicate properly to ensure access to the latest data is always available.

Customer data can be found everywhere. It’s estimated that 62% of U.S. retailers have over 50 different systems containing customer data, and it’s imperative that data across all systems is consistent and up to date. It would be disastrous for a retailer if, say, their website has the customer’s correct address for delivery but the warehouse where the order is shipped from doesn’t.

4. Prevent Device Misuse

Whether it’s a mounted tablet customers can use to look up product information in-store or a mobile device warehouse workers access to check available inventory levels, there’s always a possibility that the device could be used for something other than its intended purpose. In fact, 80% of organisations have discovered employees misusing device and data access.

That could mean downloading apps, playing games, or browsing websites. Although it sounds innocuous, it can lead to big problems. Employees can be distracted from the task at hand, and device security can be put at risk if something malicious is downloaded on the device – creating a security risk.

This could mean providing multiple delivery, pickup options or making product recommendations based on a customer’s previous purchases.

The Need to Manage Devices in the Supply Chain Sector

meet consumer expectations, retailers should be investing in solutions and software partnerships that ensure smooth logistics and warehousing operations.

Supply chain technologies that enhance levels of inventory forecasting are a must in warehouses to scan and record available stock as it comes and goes – with the help of barcode scanners and mobile computers. Following the process through to deliveries, tablets should be used to navigate routes and the dispatching of goods along the way. Delivery drivers should also update their logistics tracker applications as they go. This information must be accurate across all channels at all times and made available to consumers in realtime to satisfy their purchasing decisions.

However, the proliferation of mobile devices in the supply chain sector to enhance logistics processes means MDM solutions are needed now more than ever. Properly managed devices can reduce worker downtime, enhance security protocols, and create logistics efficiencies that help meet customer expectations. ●

For more information on how MDM solutions can help enhance your supply chain processes, please visit: soti.net

When the average downtime incident for 87% of retailers lasts approximately four hours, customers won’t wait around for it to be resolved.

It’s equally important that companies can build the seamless, personalised shopping experiences that 50% of customers are asking for across the omnichannel.

To

Understanding and Addressing Supply Chain Disruption Today

WRITTEN BY GORDON MADDOCK, REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT, BROAD MARKETS, APPIAN APAC

Shipping disruptions spike costs and delay products. Truck driver shortages leave products sitting in warehouses and increase lead times.

While you can’t always control every aspect of a supply chain, understanding the macro-factors that could impact on logistics performance is an important first step. So what factors are impacting global supply chains today and how can organisations develop greater resilience to overcome future challenges?

Disruption is (unfortunately) here to stay

The supply chain disruptions experienced over the past three years are (unfortunately) likely to continue. For starters, ripple effects from the pandemic are still slowing down deliveries and inflationary pressures are hiking up the prices of shipping and goods. Peter Liddell, Partner at KPMG, recently commented in the Appian 2023 Supply Chain Outlook Whitepaper that infrastructure investments in the US and EU that were part of economic stimulus efforts “led to a run on manufacturing goods from China, causing shipping prices to rise at astronomical rates, leading to containers getting backed up in major global ports".

He also said that "Organisations will continue to have trouble with transport logistics as many of the

Supply chain challenges are exceedingly complex, and a change at any one point affects everything else in the system. Raw material shortages stifle manufacturing production.

global ocean freight providers haven't yet caught up to the demand. Even if we can get all the container ships we need into the ocean, we don’t always have the crews available, so you’ll continue to have an imbalance of supply and demand. There are also a number of global challenges contributing to the second wave of disruptions—for example, everyone is trying to get their hands on construction materials and equipment, which may slow down repairs and maintenance of critical assets or stall new capital projects (retail stores, distribution centres, manufacturing sites, etc.). Additionally, many industries producing critical components such as semiconductors, packaging, raw materials, etc., haven’t fully caught up.”

A key lesson from the last three years is that the worst changes in the supply chain are unforeseen. Increases in climate-related storms, issues with technology, or rapid shifts in customer demand (such as the run-on flu medicines) can all throw a spanner into supply chain operations. These hidden disruptions can shock a system already worn thin by pandemic ripple effects and geopolitical issues.

A need for greater supply chain resilience

The pandemic has laid bare the precarious balance in which our supply chains are held. The push for efficiency and keeping lean inventories led to an environment that allowed supply chains to break down too easily. Now and in the future, we can expect to see companies take measures to increase their ability to bounce back from turbulence. Supply chain managers will make heavy use of technology to bolster their resilience efforts. This can come in the form of digital twins, predictive analytics, or automation tools that act as early warning systems for supply chain disruptions and allow groups to plan accordingly. In fact, Deepak Mavatoor, Managing Partner at Tata Consultancy Services, touched on the importance of scenario planning technology in the pandemic. He said, "The best companies have focused on scenario planning. In our personal lives, we think about contingencies—what happens when the kids aren’t on time, or your alarm clock doesn’t go off? In the professional world, we always plan for an ideal scenario. It’s hard to fathom when wars (like what is happening in Ukraine) break out, but we must consider them. Some of the best companies have run more 'what if' scenarios so they don’t fall into the trap of thinking 'this worked for the last eight years, so I’ll continue to do this’. They have the tools, processes,

“And with consumption so high, we could face shortages or run out of critical production inputs. This could lead to more supply imbalances for critical industries.”

The push for efficiency and keeping lean inventories led to an environment that allowed supply chains to break down too easily.

systems, and culture to handle these what-ifs.

Supply chain partners will be chosen more carefully

Another major supply chain change we’ll likely see is a widespread shift in vendor preferences. There are a number of conditions driving this. Reliability is big—Peter Liddell believes that many companies have shifted from using vendors in China to invest in more predictable Southeast Asian countries. He said, “With the combination of inflationary pressures, high shipping costs, and geopolitics putting pressure on energy and labour expenditures, we’re starting to see more investments into southeast Asian countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand. This signals a shift away from Chinese manufacturing for many global corporations.”

International politics also drive some vendor changes, as war or embargoes threaten trade. Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) regulations have also begun requiring companies to take a second look at their supply chain partners, assessing them on everything from carbon footprint to social issues like labour practices. When choosing vendors, consider the full cost of doing business.

The risk of a vendor with a long transit route delaying orders may pose a higher cost to a business than a slightly more expensive vendor who’s closer and can be more agile with delivery.

Vlad Filippov, Founder and CEO of Spark Equation, offered some sage advice in this area: He suggested asking vendors about their technology investments, stating, “Instead of choosing the cheapest vendor, look for those who are investing in technology to be more sustainable and efficient.” When you choose vendors that invest in modern technology, they’ll have better quality products and services—and that can be very beneficial to your business.

Overcoming hiring challenges and staffing shortages

The shortage of experienced workers in the supply chain will continue to be a significant issue. Truck driver positions remain largely unfilled, manufacturing teams face widespread retirements leading to loss of institutional knowledge and supply chains have become increasingly technical, requiring workers with unique skills.

In this environment, companies will have to rely

on technology and automation to bridge the gap. Take planning tasks done by supply chain managers, for example. Joaquim Duarte Oliveira, Supply Chain & Network Operations Leader at Deloitte, says, “In the near future, the vast majority of activities in supply chain planning will be handled by digital solutions, where predictability, scenario planning, visibility, and agility are the key elements, leveraged through decision intelligence and automation.” He claims that this will lead to planners dealing more with exceptions, rather than spending their time on the rote tasks they do today. It’s worth noting that this also allows anyone across any supply chain role to accomplish more, faster.

Enhance supply chain operations with technology

To improve supply chain performance, resilience, and overcome staffing issues, businesses must digitise as much of their supply chain as possible. This not only refers to digitising all internal processes, but it also applies to choosing technically savvy suppliers. Digitising helps connect systems across the supply chain so you can get data faster and receive early warning signals if something goes wrong.

For example, transportation companies might automate truck driver assignments, while retailers might automate restocking requests for procurement managers. Businesses also need to make sure they have the right technology to facilitate these steps. A good supply chain automation platform can help unify data quickly, easily, and securely via data fabrics. Process automation tools—from workflow-based, low-code design to automation tools like bots and artificial intelligence—let you build applications and orchestrate processes between teams and people. Process mining tools can help you find potential areas for improvement and continuously optimise your processes for greater efficiency.

Finally, a good platform allows you to deploy across multiple platforms to give a complete experience for users.

This is critical for employees working in lowconnectivity environments on mobile devices in the field. Disruption in the supply chain is not going away. Changes will only accelerate.

However, by understanding the factors impacting on supply chain performance and taking steps to improve operations with the right strategies and technologies, businesses can enhance their resilience and ability to adapt to future challenges. ●

“Some companies do sales and operations (S&OP) planning far more frequently — sometimes two or three times a week—which shifts the culture to be more scenario-planning-oriented.”

Automation can play a critical role in developing more agility and resilience, but your business process automation strategy depends on what you do in the supply chain.

Feeding a Nation –RedMart West Fulfilment Centre, Singapore

Providing productivity, space efficiency, speed, and accuracy for online grocery fulfilment

Occupying 32,500 square metres (350,000 square feet), one of the largest logistics facilities in the country belongs to the biggest online grocery platform in Singapore – RedMart. RedMart is the online grocery service of e-commerce giant, Lazada, which serves all of Singapore.

RedMart’s West Fulfilment Centre is powered by market leading automation from Dematic to meet the increasing demand for online grocery shopping. The Dematic automated solution includes robotic shuttles, ergonomic high-speed pick stations, an intelligent conveying system, and a high-rate sortation system, all managed by a sophisticated software platform to make processes incredibly easy and efficient for pickers, packers, and management staff.

The online market for groceries had seen a growth rate of 300% since 2017, however with RedMart’s previous infrastructure and manual processes, it would not have been able to cost-effectively take advantage of this growth opportunity.

“Our previous model was no longer working for us as we continued to grow.

To meet the demand of consumers when it comes to online grocery shopping, the old method of manually hand-picking an order to pack and send to customers was too time-consuming, inefficient, and low in productivity,” said Mr. Gerald Glauerdt, Co-Founder & Chief Logistics Officer at RedMart and Lazada. “We knew we needed to scale our model of operations up, and we needed to find a solutions provider who was highly experienced in warehouse and logistics automation. Dematic was chosen as they were able to provide us with highly customisable solutions that would bring us the productivity increases that we were looking for.”

One of the technologies Dematic has provided as part of the automated solution is the Dematic Multishuttle® system. Products are placed in totes, which are automatically stored in high-density racks by robotic shuttles. The Dematic Multishuttles automatically transport totes between storage locations and operator pick stations, eliminating the need for operators to travel and preventing them from picking the wrong product. These towering racks extend from floor to ceiling, maximising the storage density of the warehouse.

“The automated solution uses robotic shuttles to store and retrieve products automatically and deliver them to goods-toperson (GTP) workstations where operators

can work up to 5 times faster than they were previously,” said Mr. Michael Bradshaw, Senior Regional Director, Sales & Solutions Development, Dematic.

“The shuttles are also used to automatically replenish pick locations allocated for faster moving products where we use light picking technology to direct the operators, making the picking process as fast and accurate as possible.”

Whenever there is an order to be fulfilled from the goods-to-person area, the Dematic Multishuttle system automatically retrieves totes containing the required items. Totes are retrieved in a specific sequence and conveyed to the GTP workstations where they are picked and placed into order containers. The operator stays in one place while items are delivered to their pick station automatically, increasing picking speeds and productivity by eliminating the need for the picker to walk around many aisles of shelving.

“This example of the GTP brings a highly productive solution in terms of processes, where a picker could now pick and pack 500 items in the same amount of time that it used to take us to pick and pack 100 items using the manual process,” said Mr. Glauerdt. “Dematic was able to offer this customised solution to help reduce the burden on our pickers, whilst boosting productivity and efficiency, helping us to meet the growing demand of online grocery shopping.” ●

“This part of the solution covers a huge product range in a small footprint, with an extremely effective picking method.”

D-Carb: The Missing Link Between Environmental Impact and Supply Chain Planning

Many major organisations today are waving the banner of sustainability—committing themselves to adopting practices that can reduce their negative impact on the environment, helping create a healthier planet and society. But saying and doing are two separate things, with companies often struggling to turn their vision into a reality.

So how can you move forward strategically and with impact in your supply chain today?

D-Carb from Deloitte Australia leverages SAP Integrated Business Planning (IBP) in combination with product carbon footprint data in order to support business decisions on the journey to decarbonised value chains. D-Carb brings visibility on future CO2e emissions, compares emission scenarios, and triggers tangible actions across the extended value chain to operationalise climate strategy.

“D-Carb provides the missing link between environmental impact and supply chain planning on the path to a low-carbon future,” said James Stone, SAP Partner from Deloitte.

In the context of Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP), D-Carb allows planners to not only make decisions based on demand, supply, and financial drivers, but also on CO2e emissions. This is possible through the flexibility and scalability of SAP IBP, which allows planners to create alternative scenarios on the spot and compare them against climate strategy targets. The output becomes a feasible, profitable, and sustainable S&OP plan, which will flow down to execution, ultimately making operations more resilient and future proof.

“D-Carb enriches your SAP Supply Chain Planning process with carbon footprint data,

in order to support business decisions on an organisation’s journey to decarbonisation. It allows business leaders to walk the talk by providing the missing link between their climate strategy and day-to-day planning activities,” said James.

Beyond decarbonisation, integrating CO2e emission scenarios into supply chain plans is only the first step towards seriously tackling the climate urgency. ●

For more information visit: deloitte.com

“We believe organisations must have a strong foundation of datadriven insights and intelligent capabilities if they truly want to transform their business processes and their cultures— and drive meaningful action on climate change, environmental protection, resource sustainability, and planetary health.”

What E-commerce Brands Need to Understand About CrossDocking Today

WRITTEN BY SEAN WALSH, DIRECTOR, PATTERN AUSTRALIA

To make the distribution process as cost efficient and time-effective as possible, products often pass through cross-docks.

In the context of marketplace e-commerce, cross-docking is when shipments rapidly pass through an additional stop, or cross-dock, to more quickly and efficiently arrive at their final destination. Cross-docks group together pallets of different products with similar destinations to cut shipping costs by sending in bulk. This process can also aid in preparing raw products for grouped selling. Products often pass through cross-docks between their original warehouse or manufacturing plant and their final sales channels like Amazon or Myer.

Advantages of cross-docking

Cross-docking is a more efficient and economical way

to get many different shipments to their appropriate locations. In a cross-docking arrangement, brands will only need to send their shipments to one place — the cross-dock — instead of breaking up their pallets and making small shipments across the country or world. Since cross-docks handle shipments for many different brands, they can efficiently group and ship several pallets from different brands to their appropriate location at once.

For example, instead of one brand making several small shipments to Adelaide, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast, the brand can just send all their product to a cross-dock. The cross-dock can then group the inbound Brisbane shipment with other shipments headed to Gold Coast and so on.

Another benefit to cross-docking is speed. Cross-docks don’t store products; they turn them around to their final destination within 1-2 days. This simplifies the supply chain and helps brands avoid storage costs, risks, and logistics.

Types of cross-docking

Most true cross-docks simply receive shipments and quickly send them on to their final location. Other cross-docks have a value add. Instead of just bringing in a product and quickly shipping it, these cross-docks perform a service or otherwise add

Selling on marketplaces today isn’t as simple as manufacturing goods and sending them directly to customers. There are many logistical factors that brands need to consider, including packaging, shipping, fulfilment, returns, and more.

value during the process of cross-docking.

Between taking the shipment apart and putting it on pallets to different destinations, a crossdock with value add may perform quality checks, add a UPC for Amazon organisation, repackage it, or otherwise prepare the product to improve the customer experience or ensure it meets the marketplace standards and requirements.

One example of this service is a brand sending jewellery to a cross-dock in plastic bags, where the cross-dock repackages them into jewellery boxes. Cross-docks with value add may also package a few complimentary products from the same brand and sell them as a set, like selling a dog toy in a pack with a treat that goes inside the toy.

Despite the additional efforts, cross-docks with value add still execute this process very quickly to get the outbound products to their final locations as soon as possible.

Another way to categorise cross-docking is by pre-distribution cross-docking and post-distribution cross-docking. In the former, products are sorted and prepared based on pre-determined instructions. The inbound product’s final destination is known as soon as it leaves the manufacturer or supplier. In the latter, products stay at the cross-dock until the final destination is known, which gives retailers more time to make smarter shipping decisions based on inventory and demand.

Potential downsides of cross-docking

In general, cross-docking can be beneficial to all brands selling any type of product. However, there can be some potential risks associated with cross-docking as it requires detailed planning and coordination to run smoothly. From one perspective, cross-docking can run the risk of ‘putting all your eggs in one basket’. Stock isn’t being held to be sent to various locations as sales dictate, but rather immediately being sent in bulk to selling channels like Amazon.

This risk is mitigated when working with a partner knowledgeable about e-commerce selling patterns. If you know a certain number of units will sell on Amazon, it’s less risky to allocate that many to the channel.

The power of a specialist cross-docking partner

Working with an e-commerce acceleration partner like Pattern can help ensure that products don’t just get from point A to point B.

Pattern

Pattern also sends brands detailed purchase orders, so they know exactly how much inventory to supply to cross-docks and when. This takes the guesswork out of the process, making it easy for brands to make data-backed decisions on how much product to allocate to each sales channel. Rather than having to coordinate several different shipments to different locations, our partners simply palletise their products and ship them to us in bulk, where they are unloaded, broken down, processed, and then products are shipped back out within 2-3 days.

By working with an e-commerce acceleration partner that can support a brand’s cross-docking processes, Australian businesses have the logistics of e-commerce fulfillment managed for them. This gives brands more time to focus on what matters most –driving product innovation and growing sales. ●

For more information on Pattern and our ecommerce acceleration services, please visit: au.pattern.com

Partners like

will perform rigorous quality checks, package products to help them sell better and improve the customer experience, ensuring every product meets the precise standards and requirements of the marketplace where it’s being sold.

How RFID Technology Can Enhance Your Business Operations Today

WRITTEN BY RYAN MCGRATH, GROUP

Traditional tracking methods such as manual data entry can be time-consuming and can result in errors, leading to delays, loss of goods, and reduced efficiency.

Proving to be a game-changer for Australian businesses, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology provides a more accurate and efficient method of asset tracking. By using small tags or transponders, RFID technology enables remote and real-time tracking, monitoring, and identification of objects, whether they are physical goods, people, or even livestock. RFID tags are often used by businesses to secure valuable goods, such as highend equipment or hazardous materials, and improve security processes to prevent theft or loss.

This technology works by assigning each asset with a unique tag that can be read remotely using RFID readers. These tags can be easily attached to assets, and the RFID reader can then scan the tag to obtain stored asset information such as location, maintenance status, or usage history. RFID tags can be either passive or active. Passive RFID tags rely on

the energy emitted by the reader to power the tag, while active RFID tags have their own power source and can communicate over greater distances. RFID technology can help organisations improve the efficiency of their operations.

A critical operational challenge for those in the transport and logistics industry today, is maintaining real-time visibility and control over the location and status of goods as they move through the supply chain.

By having real-time visibility into the location and status of assets, organisations can better allocate resources and prioritise tasks.

MANAGING DIRECTOR, PEACOCK BROS.

For example, RFID-enabled tracking systems can be used to monitor inventory levels and automatically trigger restocking requests when inventory is running low. This can help reduce stock-outs and minimise the risk of lost sales.

A case in point, EastPack, one of the largest kiwifruit pack houses in New Zealand, has improved the efficiency of their warehouse operations by implementing an RFID and indoor vehicle management supply chain solution. The approach was designed, developed, and deployed by Peacock Bros. for EastPack, who needed more than just ‘point of activity’ tracking of RFID pallets to fulfill

their supply chain visibility requirements.

The resulting supply chain management system now tracks the movement of all the forklifts and pallets within centimetres – every second of the day, at every facility. Continuous monitoring of activities allows for full inventory reporting that details where stock is located, quantity, expiry date and much more, as well as analysing the performance of indoor vehicles such as forklifts to ensure optimal efficiencies within the warehouses. This is made possible by fitting the forklifts with optical cameras that identify the relative location of position markers suspended from the warehouse ceiling. The location information is fed to a vehicle mounted mobile computer that continuously relays data such as location, speed, and direction to the main warehouse management system. By adding automated RFID pallet tag readers and height sensors to the forklift, the warehouse system knows the location and height of the tagged pallets, even if they are in motion onboard the forklift.

For example, RFID-enabled tracking systems can automate the process of checking in and out equipment, reducing the need for manual data entry and freeing up staff time.

Another benefit of RFID technology is that it can be used to enhance customer service. By having real-time visibility into the location and status of tagged goods, organisations can provide customers with accurate information about the availability of products or services. For example, RFID-enabled tracking systems can be used to monitor the movement of packages and provide customers with real-time updates on their delivery status.

RFID technology is a powerful tool for asset tracking that can help organisations improve efficiency, security, reduce costs, enhance customer service, and meet regulatory requirements. With its ability to provide real-time visibility into the location and status of goods, RFID technology should be a consideration for any organisation seeking to improve the efficiency and accuracy of their operations and meet customer demand. ●

For more information visit: peacocks.com.au

In addition to improving efficiency, RFID technology can also help organisations reduce costs. By automating many manual processes, RFID technology can eliminate the need for manual data entry, reduce the risk of human error, and free up staff time for more important tasks.

Leading by Example with

As a leading technology company itself, Leader Computers wanted to upgrade its warehouse with automation that would increase business efficiency, accuracy, and productivity, as well as make better use of the available warehouse space.

The AutoStore solution implemented by Dematic streamlines picking, packing, and replenishment operations, reduces storage footprint, and allows room for future growth. And, most importantly, Leader Computers is now delivering an enhanced level of service to thousands of its managed service providers and IT resellers, nationwide.

Learn more at dematic.com/leader-computers

Enhancing Asset Management with Forefront RFID Technology

Warehouses are busier than ever before, with operators struggling to keep up with exponential demands, rising logistics costs, and labour challenges, all while satisfying rising customer expectations. Achieving maximum operational efficiency and workforce productivity is absolutely critical in 2023, but that all hinges on the visibility of critical assets. Without this, businesses face challenges in streamlining operations, reducing costs, and improving customer service. The advancement of RFID technology has enabled businesses to not only track the whereabouts of inventory, equipment, and employees but also monitor their movement and direction. Additionally, the cost-effectiveness and performance of RFID readers and tags contribute to a superior return on investment.

More and more businesses are considering an investment in RFID technology to help automate their inventory, data capture, and tracking processes. A global leader in the RFID space for over 30 years, Zebra Technologies has introduced a new class of RFID reader – the ATR7000 –which offers exclusive, advanced technology that enables businesses to see the pinpoint location of all their inventory, forklifts, equipment, workers and more in realtime. This deep visibility allows businesses to streamline their operations, improve workforce productivity, reduce costs, and better serve their customers.

So how does it work?

The ATR7000 electronically steers and processes several hundreds of narrow flashlight-style beams simultaneously, providing highly accurate asset location, within 2 ft./0.6m or less. Meanwhile, the wide-angle antenna delivers up to double the coverage area of typical competitive fixed readers. Dual circular and linear coverage patterns ensure all tags in the coverage zone are visible, regardless of the size or complexity of the environment.

The device also simplifies deployment with its streamlined and integrated configuration and management interface, allowing for automatic discovery and configuration of connected ATR7000 readers on the local network without any manual intervention.

Installation of the Zebra readers is also made convenient with various mounting and power options available. The built-in pole mounting facilitates overhead installation, and the standard VESA mount offers additional versatile mounting choices. By utilising the +24 VDC power supply and supporting 802.3at Power-over-Ethernet Plus, the requirement for an outlet and the associated time and cost of installing a power drop are eliminated.

Zebra's software tools offer efficient development for RFID applications, accommodating both basic single dock door setups and extensive coverage of large warehouses or manufacturing plants. The RFID Application Programming Interface (API) facilitates quick and easy deployment, while the Configuration and Location Analytics Software (CLAS) saves significant application development time by automating data collection, real-time

location calculation, and streaming of precise location data to any Warehouse Management System (WMS). With passive UHF tags and the ability to cover a much larger area – up to double that of other readers – hardware and maintenance costs are also significantly reduced.

In the warehouse, labour is the biggest operational cost. Profitability and customer service quality are directly tied to the productivity of the warehouse workforce. As a result, businesses need to continually find ways to increase productivity, despite the issues that plague virtually every warehouse.

Advanced RFID technology like the Zebra ATR7000 has emerged as a game changer to this problem, providing unmatched visibility, streamlining operations, reducing costs, and improving customer service. By embracing this technology and unlocking new levels of efficiency, businesses can stay ahead of the curve and drive success in today's dynamic marketplace. ●

Find out more about Zebra’s ATR7000 visit: zebra.com

Look out for the next issue

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Look out for the next edition of Supply Chain Insights, where we will be taking a detailed look at the issue of “Onshoring: A supply chain myth or common business practice today?”

Following the pandemic-induced supply chain disruptions, lean, international justin-time supply chain business models were challenged. In response, manufacturers, retailers, and supply chain operators are increasingly considering bringing part (or all) of their operations onshore or closer to main

business centres to enhance resilience and reduce reliance on international logistics. But is this actually happening in the market today? What are the benefits and risks of onshoring supply chain operations and how can businesses build more resilient supply chains for the future with technology?

For more information or story suggestions, please contact: editor@supplychain-insights.media

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