MHD Mar 2021

MARCH 2021

COVER STORY

THE RISE OF THE SUBSCRIPTION ECONOMY Körber launches Pay-as-you-Go Android-based voice solution

STRATEGY SHIFT

As supply chain rises up the executive ranks, we explore the post-COVID opportunities

MEET THE SHOPPERS OF 2021 How has the pandemic impacted the way people shop?

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MHD FROM THE EDITOR

MHD Supply Chain Solutions CONTACT MHD Supply Chain Solutions is published by Prime Creative Media 11-15 Buckhurst Street, South Melbourne VIC 3205 Telephone: (+61) 03 9690 8766 Website: www.primecreativemedia.com.au

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THE NEXT WAVE OF THE SUBSCRIPTION ECONOMY

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onfined to our homes during the pandemic, Australians have become ever-more familiar with the subscription model and as a result business is booming for entertainment streaming.

A report released by Australian technology analytics firm Telsyte found that Australians together have almost 37 million video-on-demand, pay TV, music and gaming subscriptions. This could rise to 58 million by 2024, according to the firm’s forecast.

Major changes in consumer behaviour, the rapid rise of new innovative technology and financial budgets are leading to the rise of the subscription economy for both consumers and businesses.

A trend that started in media, retail and software is now trickling down into business and industrial applications and in this edition, we discover the latest subscription offering from international technology giant Körber.

The team at Körber have launched a Pay-as-you-Go version of their popular Android Voice solution. Utilised by retailers such as Kmart, Android Voice offers productivity gains by giving operators more freedom to carry out their tasks efficiently and productively. Essentially, operators can listen to order details while they continue to pack.

Körber is set to offer the solution on a monthly and annual subscription. This is an exciting step, and presents a new wave of opportunity for logistics, supply chain and retailers to offer flexible and agile solutions to cope with peaks in demand.

Subscriptions in logistics and supply chain can provide value beyond the hardware, with access to data and software solutions that can improve efficiency and the ability to adapt to a changing landscape. I expect we will see more of this kind of offering throughout this year.

Melanie Stark Managing Editor melanie.stark@primecreative.com.au

MHD Supply Chain

MHD MARCH 2021 | 3

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MARCH 2021

ISSUE #2 VOLUME 51

THIS ISSUE 20

COVER STORY

20 Subscription society

SUPPLY CHAIN 14 Meet the man in the cloud 36 A central source of truth 44 A fresh approach 50 Continuity in 2021 52 Intelligent production logistics

AUTOMATION 16 Non-disruptive automation

COVER STORY

TECHNOLOGY 29 Meet the shoppers of 2021 40 Overcoming challenges with flexibility 47 Driving towards driverless

MATERIALS HANDLING 25 Reliable and dependable 33 Innovating warehouse pedestrian crossing MARCH 2021

WAREHOUSING

14

18 Keeping clean

DEPARTMENTS AND REGULARS

COVER STORY

THE RISE OF THE SUBSCRIPTION ECONOMY

06 News 54 IoT trends

Körber launches Pay-as-you-Go Android-based voice solution

56 Property focus 58 SCLAA

STRATEGY SHIFT

As supply chain rises up the executive ranks, we explore the post-COVID opportunities

60 ALC

MEET THE SHOPPERS OF 2021 How has the pandemic impacted the way people shop?

62 ASCI 64 Product showcase 66 People on the move

ON THE COVER As Körber launches a new Pay-as-you-Go service for its popular Android Voice solution, we find out about the opportunities in supply chain and logistics.

44 MHD MARCH 2021 | 5

MHD NEWS

First shipment of Pfizer vaccine lands in Sydney

T

he first doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine landed from Europe on Monday afternoon, kick starting the nation’s biggest distribution challenge part of the Federal Government’s $6.3 billion vaccine rollout plan.

“The eagle has landed”, Health Minister Greg Hunt announced on Monday afternoon, comparing the arrival of the first 142,000 Pfizer doses to man stepping foot on the moon.

In a major milestone in Australia’s response to the pandemic, 142,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine touched down at Sydney airport just after midday on Monday February 15.

This is the first shipment of 20 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine the Government has secured as part of Australia’s COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy.

The doses have been securely transported from the airport and the vaccine has to be kept between -60 and -90 degrees Celsius.

DHL, along with a network of 200 ultra-low temperature portable freezers, will ensure Australians across the country, including in rural

DHL will ensure Australians across the country are able to access the Pfizer vaccine, which needs to be stored at minus 70 degrees.

and remote areas, are able to access the Pfizer vaccine, which needs to be stored at minus 70 degrees.

“The vaccine has landed and we’re stepping up our fight against the pandemic,” the Prime Minister said.

In lessons learnt in rollouts around the world, approximately 60,000 vaccines will be provisioned to ensure consistent supply and sufficient stock for second doses. The second dose of the vaccine will be administered at

21 days after the first dose. Subject to TGA approval and shipping confirmation of the international AstraZeneca vaccine, it is expected these numbers will double from early March.

Approximately 80,000 doses will be released of the Pfizer vaccine in the first week. It is expected that of these, at least 60,000 will be administered by the end of February with others to be continually administered thereafter.

- rising with the cost to scale last mile operations to accommodate the surge in Express volumes from e-commerce also increasing.

Personal Protective Equipment also proved to be another unexpected cost, as well as sanitisation of facilities.

Despite the increase in costs, Aramex attributes its great success to prudent financial management.

Aramex chairman captain Mohamed Juma Alshamsi said the company reinforced its reputation as a trusted brand that can deliver high levels of service in a reliable, safe and

timely manner under unprecedented conditions.

“In 2020, Aramex demonstrated its operational resilience and agility to respond swiftly to fast-changing operational conditions thanks to our strong digital infrastructure, robust financial position, experienced management team and the incredibly determined people that were on the ground getting the job done,” he said.

The captain said as the global economy recovers from COVID-19 he would continue to be optimistic about the future of the industry.

Aramex reports record breaking revenue in 2020

A

ramex is reaching new heights as the delivery service reports record breaking revenue in

2020.

The global provider of logistics and transport solutions recorded a nine per cent increase in the last financial year, translating to a record $1.8 million dollar profit.

The company attributed the sharp rise to COVID-19 accelerated eCommerce activities.

The success comes despite an unexpected increase in line haul costs related to long distance transportation 6 | MHD MARCH 2021

250% Productivity Boost Automation at Asahi’s DC achieves results worth raising a beer to.

When consolidating its multiple Brisbane sites into the new Heathwood DC, Asahi made the decision to upgrade from previously very labour-intensive operations to a fully automated warehouse solution, eliminating manual handling of pallets.

With the introduction of a satellite ASRS solution, Dematic helped Asahi maximise storage capacity, reduce operating costs, and improve efficiency and productivity to better meet the needs of its customers.

Read more and watch the video at Dematic.com/asahi

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MHD NEWS

Qube secures empty container park at Port of Melbourne

T

he Port of Melbourne and Qube have secured a short-term agreement which makes available empty container park (ECP) capacity for up to 9,000 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEU).

Allocation of the 60,000sqm site within the Port of Melbourne’s Swanson Dock precinct, which is operational immediately under Qube’s management, follows ongoing discussions between Port of Melbourne,

Qube has taken a 60,000 sqm site within the Port of Melbourne’s Swanson Dock precinct.

Qube and Freight Victoria.

Port of Melbourne CEO, Brendan Bourke, said he was pleased that the parties were able to come to a solution that would help alleviate the backlog of empty shipping containers across the supply chain as a result of strong and sustained import volumes.

“It’s critical that the port supply chain is able to able to operate as efficiently and effectively as possible, and part of that is making sure that empty containers can be moved and utilised to enable the flow of goods into and out of the port,” he said.

“We have closely monitored land requirements for the supply chain throughout the pandemic. As a result, we’ve been able to reallocate a parcel of land for a period of time which allows Qube to make use of the site while we work with industry towards longer-term solutions.”

Woolworths allocates $50m to equip team with new skills

W

oolworths has announced plans to invest more than $50 million over the next three years to help equip its team with new skills and capabilities for the retail industry of the future. The Fund is expected to support training for more than 60,000 Woolworths team members over three years across its store and e-commerce operations, supply chain network and support offices.

The Woolworths Future of Work Fund will help upskill, reskill and redeploy team members impacted by industry disruption and technological change.

It will also underpin the launch of an online learning platform to offer team members easily accessible training, apprenticeship and mentoring support across Australia.

The key technical focus areas 8 | MHD MARCH 2021

for training will be in digital, data analytics, machine learning and robotics, with further investment

The investment will focus on e-commerce operations, supply chain network and support offices.

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MHD NEWS

DHL secures $83 million custom pharmaceutical distribution facility in Western Sydney

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HL Supply Chain and ESR Australia have entered into agreements to develop a new state-of-the-art $83 million warehouse and distribution facility in Western Sydney which DHL will lease for 10 years from this October.

The joint development arrangement with DHL Supply Chain will see ESR Australia deliver a highly customised facility.

Due for completion in late 2021, the development is a temperaturecontrolled warehouse intended for the storage and distribution of pharmaceutical products, including medical supplies and machines.

The facility is set for ESR Bringelly Road Business Hub with circa 36,000 sqm gross floor area on an approximately 70,000 sqm site.

The facility features circa 36,000 sqm gross floor area on an approximately 70,000 sqm site.

Industrial property outperforms all other real estate

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olliers Industrial Capital Markets Review found that Australian industrial and logistics assets remain well sought after, with $5.49 billion trading in 2020 – up 11.5 per cent from the level recorded in 2019.

The industrial sector has been brought to the forefront in 2020 and has outperformed all other mainstream real estate asset classes.

The strong level of investment has come off the back of robust fundamentals within the sector including e-commerce growth, food logistics and infrastructure investment.

This asset class accounted for 28.5 per cent of investment volumes in 2020 (across office, retail and industrial), well above the 15.4 per cent recorded in 2019.

“The strong level of investment recorded for the year has come off the back of robust fundamentals within the sector including e-commerce growth, food logistics and infrastructure investment, as well as a deeper pool of capital as new entrants to the market emerge,” Gavin Bishop, Head of Industrial Capital Markets at Colliers International said.

Gavin credits changing consumer 10 | MHD MARCH 2021

preferences towards online grocery and food platforms in 2020 that has resulted in strong occupancy demand from occupiers in the food subsector.

“These businesses have continued to perform well, with expenditure on food items rising by 11 per cent since panic induced buying in March 2020, well above the 2.8 per cent recorded for the corresponding period in 2019,” he said.

The East Coast states captured 91.6 per cent of investment volumes in 2020

as institutional groups look to capitalise on strong leasing fundamentals and favourable outlook for further yield compression in these states.

“The vendor profile has been under pinned by corporate groups, the bulk of which have been sold via a sale and lease back arrangement. Nearly 60 per cent of assets traded stemmed from corporates, while circa 20 per cent came from institutional vendors including Charter Hall and GPT.”

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MHD NEWS

Coles launches 90-minute click and collect in Australia

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oles is the first major retailer to launch 90-minute rapid click and collect in Australia, now available at more than 400 supermarkets nationally.

Click&Collect Rapid allows customers to place their grocery order online and collect just 90 minutes later.

Click&Collect Rapid customers can place an order for up to 40 items, with a minimum spend of $30, and pay a flat fee for $5 for it to be picked, packed and ready for collection between 2.30pm and 5pm.

Coles Online Head of Network Development and Customer Delivery James Geddes said Coles was committed to offering time-poor customers convenient solutions to topping up the pantry or picking up those last ingredients for dinner.

“Coles Online continues to grow

Coles is committed to offering timepoor customers convenient solutions. in popularity and we’re excited to launch this offer for customers who are looking for a convenient and affordable shopping experience,” he said.

“The feedback from customers who used Click&Collect Rapid during our

trial last year was overwhelmingly positive and it has proven particularly popular with customers who tend to have smaller baskets and shop more frequently as they can place their order during the day and collect it on the way home.”

breaking numbers.

“This is likely the direction that e-commerce-related sectors will continue to follow while having to deal with constantly arising new challenges,” he said.

However, the future of logistics in the 2021 financial year would not always be smooth sailing.

“As more and more logistics-related tasks are shifting online, one of the

biggest challenges in the next 10 years will be the expansion of logistic centres and their ability to adapt,” Ernestas said.

According to the data, UPS reported the highest revenue increase of 14.20 per cent, resulting in a $84.6 billion dollar profit.

DHL scored a revenue of $80.41 billion, followed by USPS with $73.1 billion and FedEx with $69.2 billion in 2020.

Record revenue for logistics companies

E-commerce related sectors are seeing a huge growth in revenue.

T

he COVID-19 e-commerce boom is set to continue into the next financial year as logistics companies net record revenue.

Four leading logistics companies – including UPS, DHL, USPS and FedEx – reported over $300 billion in revenue for the 2020 financial year.

And Trackr app co-founder Ernestas Petkevicius, who analysed the figures, said this wouldn’t be the last record12 | MHD MARCH 2021

MHD SUPPLY CHAIN

MEET THE MAN IN THE CLOUD

Who is Andy Jassy? The pivotal person responsible for the Amazon Web Services empire will now take the reign on the profit machine it is today.

F

or the first time in the company’s 27-year-history, Amazon is welcoming a new CEO. It started as an online marketplace for books and is now an e-commerce powerhouse that is recognized as one of the big five tech giants amongst Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Apple.

Andy Jassy is now getting the chance to change Amazon’s iconic landscape and drive its web services capabilities.

Andy isn’t foreign to the company, nor the era of cloud computing. He is the founder of Amazon Web Services, according to the company’s website, a cloud hosting product that creates the infrastructure used by millions of companies, schools, and governments to run websites and apps.

In the late ‘90s, Amazon was years away from thinking about the cloud and still focused solely on e-commerce. Andy, 53, joined Amazon in 1997 after Harvard Business School (HBS). Talking in a podcast, he told The Disruptive Voice that he didn’t know what his job was

Andy joined Amazon in 1997.

14 | MHD MARCH 2021

Andy Jassy will take over as CEO of Amazon in Q3 2021.

going to be or what his title was going to be when he took his last exam at HBS on the first Friday of May in 1997, and started at Amazon the following Monday.

AWS has since grown into a high performing cloud platform that is

leader in the market alongside Oracle and Microsoft. It is predicted that Amazon controls about a third of the entire cloud infrastructure market, more than its next closest competitors (Microsoft and Google) combined, according to Synergy Research.

Andy will commence his new role as CEO in the third quarter of 2021, Amazon announced at the beginning of February this year. Jeff Bezos will transition as the current CEO into the role of Executive Chair.

“Amazon is what it is because of invention. We do crazy things together and then make them normal. We pioneered customer reviews, 1-Click, personalized recommendations, Prime’s insanely-fast shipping, Just Walk Out shopping, the Climate Pledge, Kindle, Alexa, marketplace, infrastructure cloud computing, Career Choice, and much more,” Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO said in February.

“If you do it right, a few years after a surprising invention, the new thing has become normal. People yawn. That yawn is the greatest compliment an inventor can receive. When you look at our financial results, what you’re actually seeing are the long-run cumulative results of invention. Right now I see Amazon at its most inventive ever, making it an optimal time for this transition.”

At a time when Amazon is still at the forefront, Andy’s background in steering AWS is predicted to boost Amazon’s business strategy across the AI, cloud, and e-commerce industries.

“It’s really hard to build a business that sustains for a long period of time,” Andy told a virtual crowd at the all-digital Amazon re:Invent last December. “To do it, you’re going to reinvent yourself, and often you’re going to have to reinvent yourself many times over.” ■

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MHD AUTOMATION

NON-DISRUPTIVE AUTOMATION Non-disruptive automation that doesn’t require change to IT or the layout of the facility, is providing organisations with a quick and costeffective way of coping with increasing rises in demand. We explore some new offerings in this space from NKC Australia.

D

ating back nearly 40 years, NKC Australia was established as a subsidiary of Nakanishi Metal Works Osaka, Japan. NKC was founded in Osaka in 1924 and began production of steel products including bearing retainers, which are used in precision bearing assemblies. Subsequent growth and demand lead to the creation of the materials handling division in 1952, developing customised conveyors and solutions for the production and logistics industries. NKC is a pioneer of industrial automation and continues to evolve by introducing the latest proven technology to the market.

Operating in more than 20 locations in 15 countries, NKC undertakes its research and development for new products and solutions in Japan. NKC is dedicated to research and development and is consistently looking for new ways to develop solutions that improve safety, efficiency and reliability. By leaning on its global knowledge base, it has a unique outlook across the global sphere of logistics and automation.

With 13 manufacturing plants, its customised solutions are found throughout the world.

With recent specialism in nondisruptive automation, NKC has developed a number of own-brand solutions in this space. This includes its 16 | MHD MARCH 2021

NKC undertakes its research and development for new products and solutions in Japan.

own Automated Guide Vehicles (AGVs), the ROBO Fork 15 and ROBO Rook. These solutions use varying guidance systems including the latest SLAM technology and have auto recharge capability.

Implementation of these non-disruptive solutions continues as they can be easily designed to interface with all current management systems (WMS/ERP).

Recognising a need for solutions to interact with the full breadth of software that is found in logistics and materials handling, NKC ensures that all of its products comply and collaborate with all WMS and ERP systems.

Furthermore, NKC Australia has partnered with a number of different solutions providers from around the globe to offer more non-disruptive automation products to the Australian market. This includes a unique supplier, Proxaut, out of Italy which designs and manufacturers varying automated guided vehicles from high reach applications through to small shuttles.

NKC Australia has also recently partnered with Fetch Robotics, the pioneer of on-demand automation with its Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) product line-up. A benefit of the Fetch non-disruptive AMR is that it can be deployed in a matter of hours, in any facility. With a much smaller upfront cost providing a greater ROI, Fetch

also offers an alternative purchase subscription model program called Robot as a Service (RaaS). This allows the end user to concentrate on their business without the concerns of implementation, daily workflows, maintenance, servicing or troubleshooting of their AMR’s.

With standardised and custom solutions, using traditional systems and the latest technology NKC Australia’s team offers a collaborative customer approach. A dedicated team of professionals on the ground here in Australia offers immense experience across the manufacturing and logistics sectors. NKC applies the latest technology and skills to deliver automation solutions for production assembly lines, warehousing and distribution.

NKC Australia offer an alternative option for your turnkey projects.

Having a strong history working with and trusted by global Tier 1 OEM’s and organisations. NKC is continuing to develop and grow as a leader of nondisruptive automation.

Faced with today’s ever-increasing challenges of doing businesses and finding competitive strategies and solutions, non-disruptive solutions allow organisations to use technology that will deliver immediate results. ■

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MHD WAREHOUSING

KEEPING CLEAN Are autonomous machines the future of cleaning in a post COVID-19 workplace?

Noel Moynes, National Sales Manager at Hako Australia sits down with MHD to share the rise in autonomous cleaning technology during this pandemic era.

Q: IN TODAY’S AUTOMATED ENVIRONMENT, WHY ARE AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS IMPORTANT FOR INDUSTRIAL AND SUPPLY CHAIN SETTINGS? A: Supply chains and hospitals are all in the process of trialling units and gauging how autonomous units would work or improve on how they currently do things.

Autonomous systems will be important in enabling companies to decrease longterm costs; provide better utilisation of labour, increase worker productivity; increase worker safety, reduce error rate, reduce frequency of inventory checks, optimise picking, sorting, and despatching.

Q: WHERE ARE AUTONOMOUS MACHINES BEING USED IN AUSTRALIA? A: There is not a great population of autonomous cleaning machine in total around Australia it is now just starting to get a momentum going as major Global manufacturers are starting to get involved locally. The main sector, which has taken autonomous units onboard in Australia, has been the large retail shopping centres around the major cities. Expectation is there will be an influx of machines going into these areas from 2021 onwards as trials becoming orders. Once the understanding of what autonomous brings to each sector.

Autonomous cleaning machines are starting to gain momentum in Australia.

Q: CONSIDERING THE ATTENTION ON CLEANING PROTOCOL DUE TO COVID, HOW DO THE AUTONOMOUS CLEANING MACHINES PROVIDE EXCELLENT RESULTS? A: The Autonomous scrubber Hako Roboscrub 20 would be able to be deployed to clean and sanitise in restricted or limited access areas allowing production to continue without having to stop production for manual cleaning.

Q: HOW USER FRIENDLY ARE HAKO MACHINES? A: Even autonomous cleaning technology will need a human touch, in the case of the Roboscrub it is able to be used autonomously or manually as required for detailing areas autonomous only units cannot access. Hako GmbH is a German manufacturer of quality cleaning equipment and have a history of being the innovators of the industry going back to 1948 when they produced the first mechanical factory sweeper.

Therefore, it is important to involve operator or cleaning personnel in the deployment of an autonomous unit.

User-friendliness was a very important aspect when developing RoboScrub.

The intuitive touch screen on the left side gives the user access to all relevant machine information during autonomous working. In addition, the user can select routes already learned by the machine or teach-in new routes while the machine is driving.

Q: WHAT ARE THE MAIN FEATURES THAT WOULD BENEFIT THE SAFETY OF SUPPLY CHAIN OPERATIONS? A: The Autonomous Hako Roboscrub 20 can be deployed to clean in restricted or limited access areas or areas where current cleaning personnel is not able to access for safety or health risks.

Prevents risk of cleaning personnel being involved or injured in collision of other vehicles within facility 18 | MHD MARCH 2021

Noel Moynes, National Sales Manager at Hako Australia Build in safety sensors on Roboscrub picks up obstacles, not present when original route was set up and will navigate around obstacle. A major consideration is the Roboscrub will provide a truly consistent clean with solid reporting data. It does what it is told to do, when it is told to do it, and does so with consistent results.

Q: WHY ARE AUTONOMOUS MACHINES THE FUTURE OF CLEANING POST COVID-19?

A: The importance of cleaning cannot be understated post COVID-19 as the standard of cleaning of all facilities will become one of the major KPI’s moving forward. Autonomous units will no doubt play a big part of the future of cleaning within the supply chain. That said there is more to it as is important to acknowledge that in the area of cleaning the autonomous unit will need to work hand in hand with the cleaning personnel of each facility.

While autonomous units will be deployed to do the mundane cleaning of larger easily accessible areas, more importantly autonomous units will provide a better utilisation of labour.

Allowing cleaning personnel to be doing skilled manual labour-intense detail and wipe down work in offices, despatch areas, washrooms, kitchens, hand rials, equipment etc. These routines may have been every two days or weekly pre- COVID-19 but post COVID-19 will become minimum daily, this will become the norm in the coming years to keep COVID-19 at bay. ■

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MHD COVER STORY

SUBSCRIPTION SOCIETY As Körber launches a new Pay-as-you-Go version of its popular Android Voice solution, MHD explore the rise of subscription services and the benefits of this new offering from the global supply chain expert.

I

Android Voice provides operating staff with voiceenabled prompts for more accurate picking results.

20 | MHD MARCH 2021

n the consumer sector, subscription services have never been more popular. From food to music, to clothes, to household items and media. A new study estimates Australians have almost 37 million subscriptions to entertainment services alone.

Amazon, the American e-commerce giant, recently revealed a continued uptake of its Prime and subscription services in its financial results, with subscription revenues rising to $90.9 million from $35.4 million.

The subscription economy isn’t a new concept, with many generations familiar with making regular payments for newspapers, magazines and smart phones. But its success has seen businesses adopt this new route to market. By creating a lower barrier to entry and the potential for more customers to access leading and cutting-edge technology, this trend is set to continue.

On the business side, subscription services are also on the rise. Xero, HubSpot, DocuSign and many other software subscription solutions experienced record growth in 2020, as businesses had an appetite to scale up and improve their operations without the requirement of a large injection of capital.

In response to an increasing market demand for scalable, flexible, rapid and low barrier to entry opportunities for supply chain and retail operations, international technology group Körber has developed a new disruptive solution by enabling a Pay-as-you-Go service for its popular Android Voice offering.

“We’ve solved the complexity of investing in voice by simplifying the entire solution with a low capital investment option that’s scalable and

MHD COVER STORY flexible. No multi-year commitment or heavy deployment and integration costs, just simple monthly and annual subscription options,” Nishan Wijemanne, Managing Director APAC at Körber Supply Chain says.

Addressing a gap in the market for high-tech solutions at a fraction of the cost, Pay-as-you-Go Android Voice enables Australia’s supply chain and retail organisations to take the next step in conquering supply chain complexity.

A TRIED AND TESTED SOLUTION Körber’s Android Voice solution, powered by Honeywell, maximises investment in Android devices and improves workflows using voice technology, with beneficial features such as image capture and comparison.

Based on the principles of voiceguided technology, Android Voice has the power to optimise and simplify operations across retail and logistics, including goods receiving, picking, replenishing and putaways.

“A major advantage of Android Voice is the ability to scale the solution to include not only picking.

With Android Voice you can use one device to reap productivity benefits across a variety of functions in the warehouse, including replenishment, cycle counting and putaways,” Paul Phillips, Senior Business Consultant at Körber Supply Chain APAC says.

Android Voice offers scalability and flexibility that previous voice solutions could not provide. “With earlier voice solutions, if you wanted to utilise the hardware elsewhere in your operation, you needed to redesign the solution itself. But with Android Voice, and especially with our new subscription cloud-based solution, you can adapt very easily to see efficient benefits elsewhere in your operation and get even more out of your hardware investment,” Paul says.

All it takes to be able to utilise the benefits of Android Voice elsewhere in the operation is to share data with the Körber team and they are able to get the devices up and running for a variety of different functions in the warehouse, providing further efficiency gains.

“

A major advantage of Android Voice is the ability to scale the solution to include not only picking. With Android Voice you can use one device to reap productivity benefits across a variety of functions in the warehouse, including replenishment, cycle counting and putaways.

”

Tarryn Edelstein, Client Executive at Körber Supply Chain ANZ training users in Android-based voice.

MHD MARCH 2021 | 21

MHD COVER STORY

KMART CASE STUDY

the product which is proven to enable them to make faster and more accurate decisions.

“Our goal is to ensure our customers enjoy a great shopping experience, with our stores well-stocked which is achieved through faster and more efficient picking and packing times instore as well as for our e-commerce customers. By partnering with Körber, we have been able to increase productivity, accuracy and efficiency across our fulfilment operations,” Oliver Blombery, General Manager - Supply Chain at Kmart Australia says.

In July last year, major retailer Kmart deployed Körber’s Android Voice solutions across its fulfilment operations to meet increased customer demand. The largescale deployment supports the leading retailers’ shops and new KHub stores.

The Android Voice solution provides Kmart operators with major productivity gains. By giving operators more freedom to carry out their tasks efficiently and productively.

Users are no longer required to spend time looking at picking slips but can instead listen to order details while they continue to pick and pack.

The voice solution also provides the user with more information around location and order details, offering the picker an image of

PLUG AND PLAY

Pay-as-you-Go Android Voice is a new disruptive solution by Körber.

22 | MHD MARCH 2021

Training operators on Android Voice takes as little as 30 minutes, and a typical Android Voice deployment for a fulfilment centre can be completed in less than four weeks. This can be as little as two weeks if a customer has an existing voice solution with traditional talkman devices.

Providing a “plug and play” solution that empowers retailers to maximise and deliver on the increased demand experienced since COVID-19 is a major priority to the Körber team’s commitment to conquering supply chain complexity.

Ideal for coping with peaks in demand, the Pay-as-you-Go solution is available from as little as 10 users and can scale up accordingly.

Starting with a monthly subscription per user for a ready-to-deploy trusted voice powered solution, there are also further savings, value-driven and essential add-ons on an annual subscription.

“You can add Android Voice users rapidly with an 80 per cent less investment compared to traditional voice,” Rizan Mawzoon, Head of Transformation ANZ at Körber Supply Chain Software says.

It’s a simple investment option that is based on a subscription timeframe and number of users and has the capability to improve productivity by up to 35 per cent as well as improve accuracy and reduce errors by up to 50 per cent.

The subscription option includes everything required to be up and running on Android Voice. Featuring world-class Honeywell software and headsets, charger systems, headset accessories and a choice of Android-powered new-generation mobility devices.

With Pay-as-you-Go offering a rapid return on investment, it’s an attractive proposition for small to medium size enterprises as well as major retailers or logistics providers who need to scale up quickly.

MHD COVER STORY

LOCAL SUPPORT FROM A GLOBAL PARTNER With local experts on the ground here in Australia, the specialist Körber team are able to offer further add-ons such as site health checks, fulfilment analysis and training.

Kmart’s Oliver Blombery, General Manager – Supply Chain says by working with Körber’s inhouse software development team, the Wesfarmers-owned retailer has a much greater ROI on its equipment.

“Körber’s Android Voice solution is the perfect fit for us, offering us a rapid increase in our productivity and faster order fulfilment and store replenishment,” he says.

For Nishan Wijemanne, Pay-as-youGo Android Voice presents a new era for flexible and scalable solutions for retailers and logistics providers. “This never before seen investment model is ideal for retailers and 3PL providers who tend to experience various shifts in demand,” he says.

“From medium to large distribution centres currently operating with minimal tech, to retail fulfilment centres or online fulfilment centres to larger retailers and 3PLs with a low budget, this solution is a great fit.”

It can also be utilised to carry out in-store retail fulfilment, a strategy that is set to grow with the projected increase in online order volumes throughout this year.

A further benefit from working with Körber is the ability to tap into a fully integrated portfolio of supply chain solutions. “Having a sophisticated Warehouse Management System (WMS) that drives and makes the mission critical operational decisions to ensure the Android Voice-enabled work-flow is optimised is key. A WMS that is correctly and easily configured to prioritise the work according to the business requirements allows you to truly maximise the Android Voice potential,” Jamie Sterling, Director of Sales Software at Körber Supply Chain APAC says.

Within the Körber portfolio, the international technology provider offers a number of WMS solutions fit for SMEs right up to the Enterprise level organisations.

“Each of these can be bundled as part of the subscription offering to compliment the offering and Körber has all the deep expertise to tie this all together,” Jamie says.

UPGRADE OR RENEW By offering Android Voice as a Pay-asyou-Go service, the opportunity to improve

“

From medium to large distribution centres currently operating with minimal tech, to retail fulfilment centres or online fulfilment centres to larger retailers and 3PLs with a low budget, this solution is a great fit.

”

productivity by 35 per cent is available at the fraction of the cost. “Whether you’re already using voice, or still working with legacy systems, it couldn’t be a better time to consider Android Voice,” Rizan says.

Android Voice is the technology of choice for operations well beyond just the warehouse. Some additional applications of Android Voice include retail workflows in stores as well as dark stores and in inspection and maintenance.

“Businesses are taking advantage of their existing fleet of Android devices and working with us to convert them to speedy and cost-effective productivity tools that are scalable beyond just picking,” Nishan says.

With the uncertainty of COVID-19 and the rapid change in consumer behaviour, peaks and trends will be hard to predict in 2021. With Körber’s Pay-as-you-Go model, Australian retailers and logistics providers receive a bundle of hardware and software topped with the leading technology provider’s advice and integration experience, giving businesses the power to scale up during peak times and reduce licensing costs when not needed. ■ Android is a trademark of Google LLC.

Paul Phillips, Senior Business Consultant at Körber Supply Chain APAC.

MHD MARCH 2021 | 23

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MHD MATERIALS HANDLING

RELIABLE AND DEPENDABLE

A thriving business specialising in the distribution of frozen food and supplies to fish and chip shops has recently added another new piece of Toyota Material Handling equipment to its fleet after first-buying a Toyota forklift 25 years ago.

Choice Chips has a 1200 sqm warehouse with a 220 pallet-capacity.

C

hoice Chips, based in the lightindustrial suburb of Wangara, Western Australia, services three-quarters of Perth’s metropolitan area fish and chip shops, weekly delivering over 65 tonnes of chips, alone.

Owner, Michael Xydas, says he bought a used two-tonne Toyota forklift when he first started his business, 26 years ago and that it exceptionally served him for seven or eight years before he sold it privately.

He says his extensive business journey eventually led him back to Toyota forklifts.

“Back then, I was making the chips.

Now we have a factory do the chips.

We use our special kind of potato which make chips very crispy and very sweet.

“Now we have a 1200 square-metre warehouse with a big 220 palletcapacity, 350 square-metre freezers.

“When I started the business, I found the Toyota forklift secondhand, and it was a good price. Then I got a new one from another brand because it was cheap. To look for cheap, it’s not always the right way.

But sometimes when you are young in the business, maybe you can’t afford to buy the best. Now, after all these years, we bought the best. Toyota has always had a reputation for being one of the best, no question about it. And they’re not that expensive nowadays because they’re good for the long-term. Their durability is very important and you get your value out of them that way.”

Toyota Material Handling Australia

(TMHA) WA Area Sales Manager, Darren Desouza, says Toyota’s reputation for quality, durability and reliability (QDR) has been consistently proven for over 50 years and is a result of Toyota’s meticulous Production System. “QDR is a major part of the Toyota Advantage and stems from our forklifts being built using the same advanced manufacturing technologies as Toyota’s automotive products,” Darren says.

“The Toyota Production System is highly refined and employed internationally to ensure every piece of our equipment is built to exacting standards, thus resulting in exceptional quality, durability and reliability.”

In 2019 Choice Chips’ Michael decided to buy a new 8 Series battery MHD MARCH 2021 | 25

MHD MATERIALS HANDLING

Michael Xydas, Owner of Choice Chips. electric 1.8-tonne 8FBR18 stand up reach forklift, which he describes as “The best machine we’ve got here because it can take any pallet we have. It’s unbelievably good.”

So impressed is he with his Toyota reach truck’s performance, Michael recently decided to go ‘full-circle’ and purchase another Toyota forklift: the new 2.5-tonne 32-8FG25 counterbalance, which ‘bookends’ his first Toyota forklift bought at the business’ inception.

He says his machine-selection process was streamlined with Toyota’s attentive assistance. “We had some Toyota guys out here and I was impressed with them. They helped point me in the right direction, which I was very pleased about.”

TMHA also regularly services both machines, working around the business’ schedule. “They come over and they are very professional, very polite. Obviously this stuff comes from the management. They train them to learn to have a relationship with the customer because if you do have a relationship it goes on for a long time. If you don’t have a proper relationship, it doesn’t have any future.”

Michael says he was also pleased to learn about Toyota’s safety systems, which were explained to him on-site. “Yes, they came out and showed me the safety features like the one that helps minimise the likelihood of machines tipping over, which is of course very important to me and our other drivers.”

TMHA’s Darren Desouza says the safety feature Michael referred to is Toyota’s 26 | MHD MARCH 2021

exclusive System Of Active Stability (SAS), which is another cornerstone of the Toyota Advantage. “Our Automatic safety system, SAS, is an indispensable feature for our forklifts and a huge part of the Toyota Advantage,” Darren says.

“It is similar in concept to vehicular antilock braking systems and vehicle stability control systems in that it contributes to accident-prevention by detecting motion during operation.

“The SAS computer constantly analyses the potential for a tip-over. If the SAS computer finds tip-over potential, it sends a signal to the Toyota forklift actuators, which then minimise tip-over potential.

Micheal says he takes great reassurance in the knowledge of the SAS protection when operating his Toyota’s, which he greatly enjoys, saying he finds them “Extremely good” to operate.

Asked what he likes most about his Toyotas, Michael says “Because you don’t have to worry about anything. You know you’re not going to have accidents and problems that stop them, so it gives you reassurance.

“Put it this way: I won’t go to another brand anymore. I’ll stick with Toyota from now on.”

Without prompting, Michael disclosed that he has already recommended Toyota equipment to other businesses. ■ For more information freecall 1800 425 438 or visit toyotamaterialhandling.com.au

Choice Chips services three-quarters of Perth’s metropolitan area fish and chip shops.

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MHD TECHNOLOGY

MEET THE SHOPPERS OF 2021 Online is a critical channel for Australian shoppers beyond the festive season.

Khurshed Mirza, Director, Asia Pacific of OPEX Warehouse Automation explains the challenges associated with small parcel sorting and how the pandemic has impacted the way people shop.

“

I

t has become peak online shopping season every day for retailers. It is the norm for the supply chain to be busy like a typical festive time,” Khurshed Mirza, Director, Asia Pacific of OPEX Warehouse Automation says.

The proof is in the Christmas pudding.

In Australia Post’s latest market update at the time of print, the national post network reported that over 5.6 million households shopped online during the month of December 2020. More than 1.7 million households made 4 or more online purchases.

It is clear Australian shoppers took advantage of sales in November and heeded advice to get in early with half of all preChristmas online purchases happening in the last two weeks of November. Online shopping purchase growth for this period in 2020 was up 54 per cent year-on-year (YOY) whilst purchase growth remained strong into mid-December and was up 37.7 per cent YOY for the 30 days to 18 December 2020.

Following analysis of these recent figures, Khurshed says online shopper engagement is at an all-time high, presenting a great opportunity for retailers this year. According to Australia Post’s recent data, online Boxing Day sales were popular with purchases in the two weeks following Christmas up 52.9 per cent YOY across the country. “Whilst it is expected the peak will always fall around the holiday period, it’s important to highlight the surge in e-commerce activity across the nation. This is where automation must come in to play,” he says.

COMPLICATED ENVIRONMENT It’s no secret the e-commerce environment is a complicated one. Small consumer orders are often shipped in polybags, padded envelopes or other small and lightweight packages that present challenges different from corrugated boxes.

“There are a large variety of small

packaging available across the e-commerce landscape like soft packs, polybags and corrugated boxes. These present challenges in a competitive environment when time is money,” Khurshed says.

He highlights one of the biggest strains to speed and efficiency is manual sortation, that provides an overwhelming environment. “Shipping costs are also a huge challenge for e-commerce fulfilment.

To reduce shipping costs the packaging is being redesigned to allow less “air” and make it as compact as possible, thus having an automated sorting process to efficiently sort small packages enhances the overall efficiency of the fulfilment centre,” Khurshed says.

How can retailers uncomplicate their

“

This is where automation must come in to play.

”

MHD MARCH 2021 | 29

MHD TECHNOLOGY

e-commerce environment then?

Although there is no quick fix, there are some simple fixes that will dramatically change the flexibility and unwind bottle neck and stressful e-commerce environments.

Khurshed points out the importance of scalability. However, it is something that is very difficult to achieve in a high labour manual environment.

“Training new casuals is a mammoth task. Inadequate training results in errors and wrong products shipped to end consumers results in loss of credibility as well as re-shipping costs,” Khurshed says.

He draws on the iconic quote as Alexander Pope once said, “to err is human”, this is further exasperated when bringing on more casuals who are inadequately trained. “More number of inadequately trained operators results in more errors and greater costs to correct those errors.

Khurshed encourages companies to pay attention to flexibility and scalability through automation, rather than increasing the amount of people on the warehouse floor - which is a challenge during ongoing Covidsafe social distancing and capacity restrictions within warehouses and other settings.

“A distribution centre should have the flexibility to scale up easily and effectively to handle the seasonality spikes and surges. This can only be achieved with automation. Not just any automation, automation that can handle changes in your business,” Khurshed says.

Deploying solutions like Perfect Pick goods-to-person system and 30 | MHD MARCH 2021

Sure Sort automated sorter not only ensures higher efficiencies but also significantly higher accuracies resulting in reduction of errors. “This is where OPEX excels. OPEX Perfect Pick and Sure Sort are highly scalable and very configurable providing our clients with exactly what they need to satisfy their requirements and requires minimal labour”

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS It’s no longer acceptable to meet consumer expectations. They must be exceeded in order to succeed. “We’re entering a new decade, which means change is inevitable. It is a daunting task to change something that you have been doing for decades but if businesses fail to evolve and adapt to change, they will not survive,” Khurshed says.

The matter becomes complicated when the businesses not only need to change but also need to invest huge sums of money for automation. Thus, if automation can be adopted in a way where the initial capital investment is reduced and there is a way whereby the automation can grow as the business grows, then adapting to automation becomes more practical and makes more sense.

Khurshed says that the design philosophy adopted by OPEX ensures that the Perfect Pick and Sure Sort are very scalable and highly configurable so that the clients are able to significantly reduce their initial capital investment but ensure that the automation can “grow” easily as

OPEX’s® Sure Sort™ solution has changed the way companies handle small items. the client’s business grows. “As your business grows and starts to process more packages, you’ll want a solution that’s easy to upgrade and can expand as your company does,” he says.

Scalability plays an important part in sustainable automation. “Consumers are complicating the e-commerce environment; the challenge is meeting their demand. This is achievable through automation,” Khurshed says.

He draws on the expectation consumers have on retailers coming off the back of the e-commerce boom during recent stay at home restrictions. “People were ordering products off their fingertips and expect a quick order to turn around with zero bumps along the road from the moment their order is received to when it is being dropped off at their home.”

Khurshed says consumer demand is also a huge win for Australian businesses and partnering with a provider that can support business growth will ensure that automation can be expanded upon as fulfilment requirements rapidly change. “We have deployed OPEX warehouse automation solutions in Australia and can demonstrate how OPEX’s Perfect Pick and Sure Sort can easily scale up when required,” he says. ■

MHD MATERIALS HANDLING

INNOVATING WAREHOUSE PEDESTRIAN CROSSING Martin McVicar, CEO and Co-Founder of Combilift shares how the Irish company’s newly-released Aisle Master-OP uses customer-led innovation to stay ahead of the curve in the global warehousing sector.

“

C

ombilift as a company doesn’t manufacture conventional forklifts – that’s not our forte,” Martin McVicar, CEO and Co-Founder of Combilift says. “Safety is at the forefront of every Combilift innovation. That, and listening to what our customers actually need is what differentiates us. We invest heavily in R&D – 7 per cent of our turnover in fact – and we’re not blinkered by what other companies are doing, we’re just interested in solving the issues that our customers have raised with us.”

Customer feedback has heavily influenced the latest release from Combilift – the pioneering Aisle MasterOP (AME-OP). Namely, the design allows an operator to exit from both sides and hop on and off quickly with its low-toground platform step.

“It’s a major innovation in the warehousing sector,” says Martin.

“This feature is exclusive to the design of the AME-OP and comes out of direct feedback from our customers which was a desire for improved ease of access with order picking.”

The new AME-OP combines the advantages of a narrow aisle articulated forklift with an order picker and is wellsuited to manufacturing warehouse applications. It’s a patented variation of the Aisle Master – a forklift designed to work in very narrow aisles of only 1.6 metres – which has shown to increase storage capacity in warehouses by 50 per cent through the double racking of rows.

“Customers already using the Aisle Master for space saving, storage and efficiency in their warehouse asked if we could redevelop the Aisle Master to meet their ever-growing demand for order picking customised orders”,

The new AME-OP combines the advantages of a narrow aisle articulated forklift with an order picker. says Martin. “And the versatility to use the one Aisle Master for multiple applications – narrow aisle operation, truck to rack handling, bulk picking and item order picking – will no doubt result in strong demand for this new product in Australia.”

In fact, Australia has been a key growth market for the Irish manufacturer.

Sales in the antipodes have increased by around 20 per cent each year for the past 3 years, even in 2020, despite the challenges of COVID-19.

Martin partly ascribes this to MHD MARCH 2021 | 33

MHD MATERIALS HANDLING

Before officially launching any new model, Combilift carry out extensive field testing on customer’s sites.

Combilift’s safety-first approach – a priority that resonates with Australian manufacturers.

“From our experience with customers in Australia, I’d say that their priority for safety would be the highest that we deal with of any market around the world,” he says. “The top three markets in the world where safety ranks the highest are in the US, UK and Australia, but Australia stands out as a country that takes a pragmatic approach to safety in the workplace – Australians really make it happen.”

To illustrate his point, Martin makes mention of Combilift’s first purpose-built pedestrian stacker, the Combi-WR, which was prompted by a request from Australia’s iconic DIY store, Bunnings. It epitomises the confluence between customer-feedback and Combilift’s commitment to developing products within a safety-first, space-saving vertical.

“They challenged us to make a pedestrian forklift that would be safer for their operators and customers – especially as customers are walking and shopping in the same warehouse space as the forklifts,” says Martin. “This encouraged us to develop the Combilift Walkie Reach, which is unique in that the operator stands to the side of the vehicle, not behind the vehicle which would ordinarily put them in the ‘crush zone’. This improves their visibility and reduces the risk of incidents in confined spaces.”

Likewise, the AME-OP is the result of Research and Development (R&D) carried out by the company in 2019 and 2020. Its key feature is the step-through operator compartment which has design copyright protection across multiple markets worldwide.

The low floor height of just 280mm is an exclusive feature, enabling single step access from both sides of the truck. This is much faster for order picking when compared to an operator having to get up from a seated position and exit from only one side.

34 | MHD MARCH 2021

“

They challenged us to make a pedestrian forklift that would be safer for their operators and customers – especially as customers are walking and shopping in the same warehouse space as the forklifts.

Importantly, the AME-OP has all the advantages of the conventional Aisle Master, such as being able to work indoors and outdoors, for loading or offloading and for stock replenishment at other times when order picking is complete. It is also available in a number of variants with lift capacities ranging from 1,500 to 2,500kg, lift heights of up to 12.1m and the ability to operate in very narrow aisles of 1,650mm.

Additional features include a patented chain steering system that allows the truck to articulate more than 205 degrees, a programmable joystick which enables the operator to adjust hydraulics and traction, and a sensor system which detects when the operator steps off the truck to order pick and automatically engages the parking brake.

The AME-OP is now a Combilift production unit and the company anticipates that it will constitute a significant portion of Aisle Master unit sales going forward. One of Combilift’s customers in New Zealand, Sorted Logistics, have already put in an order for eight AME-OP and have been a vital part of the trialling process.

“Before we officially launch any new model, Combilift carry out extensive field testing on customer’s sites, this was the case with the Aisle Master-OP”, says Martin.

“Sorted Logistics have been invaluable in providing us input on the new product and its this type of input that continually allows us to improve and cater to the market. We anticipate a strong demand for AME-OP – I project 300 units this year alone.” ■

”

The AME-OP is well-suited to manufacturing warehouse applications.

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MHD SUPPLY CHAIN

A CENTRAL SOURCE OF TRUTH With turbulent trade lane conditions having a huge impact on the global supply chain throughout 2020, C.H. Robinson’s has developed a new tool that provides up-to-date market changes in one single information source.

L

ast year saw many industries and organisations face the biggest challenges to the global supply chains they had ever faced. “The impact of COVID-19 on ocean and air freight was a massive shock to the supply

36 | MHD MARCH 2021

chain, I would say that it is one of the biggest global challenge we have ever faced,” Andrew Coldrey, Vice President, Oceania at C.H. Robinson says.

While supply chain is often impacted by customs systems, geopolitical issues

and weather events, this was the first situation that impacted supply chains throughout the world simultaneously.

“A lot of people learn from this kind of experience. People are now realising they need alternate supply sources and

MHD SUPPLY CHAIN multiple carriers. COVID-19 has made many realise they need a much more agile supply chain than they had before,” Andrew says.

In 2020, passenger-miles across air were down 85 per cent year on year leading to a massive hit to air freight capacity and the impact of this filtered down into ocean freight, Andrew says.

All of these shocks and complexities highlighted the need to have one central source of truth. So the C.H. Robinson team create a tool that delivers real-time accurate data on market changes that impact air and ocean capacity in order to navigate the global shipping industry.

“We had been working on this kind of tool anyway, but COVID really emphasised the need to have a one-stop-shop for all the data needed to make flexible and agile decisions across the supply chain,” Andrew says.

In 2020, passenger-miles across air were down 85 per cent year on year leading to a massive hit to air freight capacity.

Launched in late 2020, C.H. Robinson’s Global Forwarding Insights tool has been designed in a user-friendly way so customers can very quickly and easily see an overview of any issues they may face and adapt quickly.

Previously, many of C.H. Robinson’s customers would look to a variety of sources to understand the market they were operating in. The goal of the new Global Forwarding Insights tool is to provide all of this data in one place.

“We’ve put all of the info they need in one programme. We’ve made it really simple to read, with red, yellow and green status market indicators. It’s intuitive. It’s easy to navigate and it’s completely customisable depending on what markets or trade lanes you need to be across,” Andrew says.

This is the first time the supply chain has access to one centralised place for up-to-date information on carrier capacity.

“Previously we might provide our customers with market guidance on rates or local trends but we’ve never before had a global capacity tool like this,” Andrew says.

With the unpredictable behaviour and market trends of 2020, accurate real-time data has never been more important in being able to adapt accordingly. “People would usually forecast by adding a percentage on previous years, but with COVID-19 bucking any trends we’ve seen before this tool gives accurate up-todate data so our customers can forecast accordingly,” Andrew says.

If ocean and air markets are performing lower than optimal levels or there are bottlenecks, customers have full visibility of this and can forecast and adapt accordingly.

“Supply chain can be a long beast with lots of interconnected pieces and it doesn’t move very easily so the earlier you can react the better position you are in,” Andrew says.

In late 2019, C.H. Robinson’s CEO Bob Biesterfeld announced the company’s largest investment in innovation and technology, with a commitment to invest US$1 billion in technology over the next five years.

This tool is part of that investment and commitment and has been built entirely in house. “All of our software is developed in house. It’s developed by supply chain, for supply chain. We had representatives from our carrier teams, procurement, IT, account management – it’s a team effort,” Andrew says.

The tool is not only developed collaboratively within C.H. Robinson, but also with the organisation’s customer base.

“

We’ve put all of the info they need in one programme.

We’ve made it really simple to read, with red, yellow and green status market indicators. It’s intuitive.

”

MHD MARCH 2021 | 37

MHD SUPPLY CHAIN

Andrew Coldrey, Vice President, Oceania at C.H. Robinson.

“It’s a collaborative effort. We pull different people from different parts of the business and we also talk to customers and find out what they want and how we can get them the highest quality info as quickly and simply as possible,” Andrew says.

As a global market leader, C.H. Robinson’s breadth and wealth of experience helps establish a unique

point of view to analyse not only global trade markets but local markets.

“Our local experts allow us to understand what is happening at a local level and by having a global outlook, it improves the information we can provide to our customers. We can take the raw data and apply our local expertise and insights to it to truly understand what it means,”

The impact of COVID-19 on ocean and air freight was a massive shock to the supply chain.

38 | MHD MARCH 2021

Andrew says.

While the tool was only realised a few months ago, the feedback so far has been great, and Andrew sees this as the very beginning of the journey.

“We record millions of transactions a day. By leveraging that data our predictions and insights become easier and much more powerful when we can share this with our customers,” he says.

Whether it’s getting product to a supermarket, hospital or factory, the same principles apply, agility and flexibility.

C.H. Robinson’s new Global Forwarding Insights tool has been designed to provide its customers with the data they need to make good business decisions that reduce risk, increase efficiencies and allow them to adapt to the changing conditions of the market accordingly.

“There are so many factors that can impact the supply chain. The more you know the better you can plan. Things will go wrong, but it’s how you adapt and minimise risk that puts you in a good position. With this in mind, we have designed the Global Forwarding Insights tool to better equip our customers to cope with the everchanging world of global shipping,” Andrew concludes. ■

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MHD TECHNOLOGY

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES WITH FLEXIBILITY Despite the challenges of COVID-19, it wasn’t all doom and gloom. With supply chain rising up the executive ranks, MHD catches up with Archival Garcia, Vice President at Microlistics to find out about the major strategy shifts across the industry.

“

T

he first interesting thing we started to notice when COVID initially sent shockwaves through the global supply chain was that logistics became front and centre of an organisation and any strategy it was considering,” Archival says.

With fewer containers and trucks on the road and shops largely closed, efficiency and speed to market became even more critical than before. “Some businesses used to place accuracy and completion above speed, but we saw a lot of businesses change their way of thinking. With the fear of restrictions being placed on how businesses could operate at any minute, we saw organisations much more inclined to move goods out the door as soon as possible,” Archival says.

Pressure points were largely around maximising any stock that was available and getting it out the door asap rather than waiting to fulfil an order in full.

Another COVID-induced shift was that the front end of the supply chain became a major priority for many retailers. “With physical stores largely closed, people’s focus shifted to the online customer and delivering that promise, “Archival says.

Cross Docks Australia, a leading logistics service provider and one of Microlistics’ customers, experienced this shift firsthand.

“Some of our customers were experiencing a 500 per cent increase in online sales, and most were at around that 100 per cent mark,” Shan Manickam, Owner at Cross Docks Australia says.

This sea change has also had an impact on the kinds of roles involved in supply chain, with Archival seeing more COO roles or CIO roles playing critical roles in projects. This has also been evident in remote or virtual 40 | MHD MARCH 2021

“

Our parent company are big proponents of education and sharing knowledge.

Before we even start deployment, we educate our customers on terminology and definitions.

”

deployments for Microlistics.

“There is a challenge when we deploy virtually or remotely about who to involve.

It’s hard to make decisions with 15 people in the room but we help our customers map decisions to the right people so that the project runs more smoothly,” Archival says.

Since COVID-19 forced people to work from home, Microlistics has deployed more than eight projects remotely and has adapted its implementation process accordingly.

What would originally take a full day onsite, is now spread across a number of different meetings. “We’ve recognised the importance of taking a disciplined approach to the project when you do this kind of thing remotely. As a result, we’ve mapped out the roles we need from a customer and the tasks and responsibilities that fit in those individual roles. We’ve found that this has really helped set our customers up for success,” Archival says.

Furthermore, Microlistics has invested heavily in its e-Learning platform to transfer knowledge to its customers. “Our parent company are big proponents of education and sharing knowledge. Before we even start deployment, we educate our customers on terminology and definitions,” Archival says.

At this early stage, Archival says there is usually a lot of excitement about the software and what it can do. “We hear a lot of conversations along the lines of ‘great, now we don’t have to do that work around,” he says.

According to Archival, the issue with manual work arounds became even more apparent during COVID. “As volumes spiked, the kind of work arounds operational staff had been putting up with

MHD TECHNOLOGY

Archival Garcia, Vice President at Microlistics (centre).

for years just didn’t work anymore,” he says.

Furthermore, Archival says businesses are starting to view the supply chain holistically, rather than in a silo. “We’re really seeing a holistic view of the supply chain rather than it being a strictly operational discipline.

Rather than solving issues such as warehouse to store or warehouse to customer, we’re seeing a more holistic approach and an understanding of what and how many steps are required to get a product to a customer,” Archival says.

Across all of these shifts is a need for more data and visibility, something which the team at Microlistics has their head around.

COPING WITH DEMAND With consumer behaviour driving

demand to record heights across fashion apparel, DIY and grocery, many logistics processes had to be adapted quickly to keep up with the new pace.

In a largely unpredictable and unstable environment, many businesses are reluctant to invest in large-scale projects. But demand was continuing to rise.

“When there is a lot of uncertainty in the air, it doesn’t make good business sense to start investing in say large-scale projects such as automation, but the pressure is there nonetheless, so a key deliverable is phased benefits,” Archival says.

This is where visibility and data play a critical role. “Unless you have visibility or easy access to information to drive improvements you will really struggle to meet the rise in demand with the

assets you have,” Archival says.

Shan Manickam, Owner at Cross Docks Australia also agrees. “By utilising Microlistics’ software, if you are experiencing 100 per cent increase in volume, you don’t need 100 per cent more labour. The data allows you to adjust your picking paths and processes accordingly to run more efficiently,” he says.

Daniel Allison, Logistics Manager at Brand Collective, a leading apparel and fashion retailer and Microlistics customer, also saw a huge spike in demand when the nation went into lockdown. “We saw record peaks in demand, but we used the Microlistics platform to be agile and pivot our business to cope with this increase,” he says.

The Microlistics dashboard and data insights gave Brand Collective a good MHD MARCH 2021 | 41

MHD TECHNOLOGY

view of what resources they needed and where. “It gives you an understanding of where the volume is coming from and where to allocate your resources to accordingly on a daily basis,” Daniel says.

Microlistics provides a robust tier of analytics across its offerings. So, when there isn’t the time to start a 12-month supply chain transformation project, businesses can benefit from the tools they already have and can use accurate data to modify processes accordingly.

“We know this level of visibility saved a number of our customers through this unprecedented time,” Archival says.

INVESTING TO MEET THE CHALLENGES OF THE NEW NORMAL According to Archival, the pandemic has been a good time to reflect and improve on Microlistics’ offering to the market.

“We’ve been quite introspective about

COVID-19 caused many retailers record volumes of online orders.

42 | MHD MARCH 2021

“

It gives you an understanding of where the volume is coming from and where to allocate your resources to accordingly on a daily basis.

”

what we do and how we deliver and deploy our solutions. It’s been a good learning opportunity for us,” Archival says.

Microlistics dedicates time and resources to improving its products, and COVID-19 has uncovered new opportunities for its solutions.

“We’re going to have a lot more out of the box solutions coming up this year.

We’ve taken some of the big-ticket issues we see our customers face again and again and have invested into research and development. We’ll have new functions to roll out this year that reflect the needs of the market,” Archival says.

This year will see years of development work come to fruition and Archival is pleased to report that Microlistics’ customers are set to benefit from all of its learnings over the past year. Furthermore, a lot of the higher-end functionality will be available to customers at a more entry investment level this year. ■

MHD SUPPLY CHAIN

A FRESH APPROACH

The TMX team delivered a project with SnackBrands to combine manufacturing and distribution facilities.

When TM Insight acquired XAct Solutions last year, the business doubled in size overnight. As we move into 2021, the two businesses will join together in a rebrand and will now be known as TMX. Travis Erridge, CEO and Co-Founder at the company reveals more.

W

hen MHD last sat down with Travis Erridge, CEO and Co-Founder of TM Insight, the business had just announced that it was acquiring XAct Solutions, a privately held Australian consultancy in supply chain and industrial property that advises leading organisations on their supply chain transformations.

The acquisition saw TM Insight strengthen its geographic reach and bolster its supply chain capabilities across supply chain, property and project management to support an industry that is growing at an exponential rate.

Alongside this acquisition, TM Insight has been growing its expertise across its digital and e-commerce offerings. With the appointment of Nicole Scherholz Cipolla, Jan Becker and

Mitch Bittermann. Between the three international executives, they have led e-commerce and digital transformation projects for the likes of Global Fashion Group, Zalora and adidas.

TMX also now has a presence in New Zealand led by Caleb Nicolson and powered by the construction and project management expertise of Project Director Stuart Cox. The company has a number of major active projects in New Zealand including a major network transformation project for New Zealand Post.

TMX’s property division has also been significantly bolstered by the recruitment of Nick Greenwell, Matthew Frazer-Ryan and Danny Green, adding over 50 years of experience to TMX’s property advisory team.

“Our assets are our people. We have

a five-year strategy that features significant growth and in order to do that we need the best talent in the market,” Travis says.

The appointments in the e-commerce, supply chain, project management and property divisions of the business have also been followed by a number of new roles and promotions across Marketing and PR, Client Strategy and Business Development. According to Travis, the impact of these new capabilities will lead

TMX is bolstering its capabilities to deliver more value to customers from strategy through to project implementation.

44 | MHD MARCH 2021

MHD SUPPLY CHAIN flexibility in decision making so we can go one way or the other. We still need to make decisions even when there is instability, so agility and flexibility still play a major role here,” he says.

Travis is confident that there is still a huge amount of growth in logistics and supply chain ahead. “E-commerce isn’t protracting across this region. Our clients want a fast and fresh approach and that’s what TMX will give them,” he says.

A STRATEGY SHIFT

to TMX being able to deliver significantly more value to customers from strategy through to project implementation.

With a flavour of the past, while looking well into the future, TMX will bring the reputation and expertise of both organisations to provide more supply chain power, more on the ground expertise throughout Asia and more digital capabilities.

TMX now boasts more than 150 experts in supply chain, property, project management and e-commerce in more than seven countries across the Asia Pacific region.

“With the demand of doubling the size of our business overnight, we’ve had to bolster our business development and client strategy teams. The opportunity across Asia also remains significant.

Hence the need to put people on the ground in this region,” Travis says.

Travis says many countries in Asia, including Vietnam and Singapore, are experiencing significant growth across e-commerce and digital and are as a result exploring high-tech automated solutions. “As demand grows, they want more best-in-class solutions,” he says.

Acknowledging that we are still some way away from normality, Travis points out that while there may be some normalisation of demand and spikes in volume, the keys to success will still be flexibility and agility. “We need

One trend that Travis believes we will start to see more of this year and further into the future is the reconnection of distribution and manufacturing in Australia.

“A lot of FMCG businesses in Australia have struggled with the logistics component and cost-to-serve aspect of their operation. For many FMCG producers, it’s too expensive to manufacture offshore because the cost of freight will kill the margin. So, they have to manufacture much closer to the end customer. What we’ve seen here, is that it’s often manufacturing along that leads this strategy,” Travis explains.

Traditionally in the FMCG sector, the cost of manufacturing is the driving force of where an operation is located, and limited thought process is given to the supply chain or logistics element.

“What typically happens is they look for the leanest operation, but don’t think about how this impacts the supply chain.

A poor supply chain in the middle can have a detrimental effect on the ability to serve customers,” Travis says.

With the falling cost of automation and advancements in robotics over the last five years and now the government’s investment in local manufacturing, a significant opportunity has arisen for these manufacturers to invest in optimising their entire supply chain.

By investing in facilities that process, package, store and distribute goods from a single location, organisations can significantly streamline their supply chain, providing a plethora of benefits, Travis says.

The combined TMX business has already worked on projects of this kind, including Coca-Cola Amatil’s combined manufacturing, bottling and warehouse facility in Richlands, Queensland. This site was one of the first consolidations of distribution and manufacturing in one site in Australia. Travis and team have also worked on similar strategies and distribution centres for Arnotts and SnackBrands.

“This shift had been happening before COVID, but some of the bottlenecks and shocks to the supply chain last year have certainly highlighted the opportunities in this space even more,” Travis says.

This can also be seen in a trend to appoint a Head of Supply Chain and Manufacturing, rather than having the two departments run in silos.

“When you drill it down, it’s really all about getting the goods to the store.

If you can operate a full end-to-end solution, from production to shelf, there are greater opportunities to service customers more accurately, consistently and quickly,” Travis concludes. ■

Many Australian organisations are exploring combining manufacturing and supply chain strategies.

MHD MARCH 2021 | 45

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MHD TECHNOLOGY

DRIVING TOWARDS DRIVERLESS Automated forklifts are on the verge of making significant headway in warehouse applications. David Oldridge, Managing Partner at BPS Global Australia, explains how some of the world’s largest retailers are set to integrate a vision-based driverless solution to meet modern demands.

“

U

nlike other players in the market, we don’t have to rely on activity from an arm’s length away. We can get to the latest developments right from our factory floor,” David Oldridge, Managing Partner at BPS Global Australia says.

BPS Global Australia represents the latest addition to the BPS network and has been established to provide localised expertise that supplements the BPS Global offer to the market. David explains that the company is rich in knowledge due to being based in China and at the forefront of manufacturing developments. “We’re able to direct source and bypass hand-offs. We have our own procurement team in Hong Kong and China that specialise in engineering next generation technology - monitored and overseed very closely,” he says.

David says trusting an overseas solutions provider can be risky if you’re not on the ground with them. Due to ongoing travel restrictions, it’s never been more important to have a secure and well-established relationship with overseas manufacturers and suppliers.

“To have experienced teams live on-site in China ensures we are providing Australian companies with solutions that have been designed, implemented and managed to the highest standard - at every step of the way.”

The Australian arm of the business recently opened last year but is managed by experienced senior operators with over 70 years of combined experience in supply chain operations. “We utilise long-standing relationships with core contractors to manage design, preparation, implementation, service, and maintenance under the management of BPS personnel. We utilise local knowledge wherever possible, managed

by proven systems and processes, and with back up from BPS Global,” David says.

David has over 35 years’ experience in designing, implementing and managing complex Supply Chains for organisations in Australia and Asia. His experience spans retail, pharmaceutical, FMCG, and 3PL industries including CEVA China and BAX Global. He says that BPS Global

Australia allows the company to provide national businesses with a clear focus on local requirements, particularly in the area of retail logistics where the management of the Australian arm has considerable practical knowledge.

INTRODUCING DRIVERLESS TECHNOLOGY Under the wave of technological

David Oldridge, Managing Partner at BPS Global Australia.

MHD MARCH 2021 | 47

MHD TECHNOLOGY advancement, warehousing is rapidly developing in the direction of automation, IoT and AI, and with the rising labour costs and leasing costs, many global leading companies, especially the dramatic rise of the e-commerce industry, are moving toward the fully automated warehouse management.

BPS Global proudly provides solutions to some of the biggest retailers in the world including iKea, Samsung, Calvin Klein and Transport and 3PL’s including TNT, CEVA and DHL. Major enterprises recognise the importance of trusted automated logistics equipment, with a high efficiency and low failure rate.

David says the company is the leader in technology, innovation and flexibility.

“With the pace of change in technology, you don’t want too many moving parts in a solution. We’re seeing a major drive towards autonomous robots in operations, especially in the last 18 months.”

He is excited to introduce a new technology to the Australian market that he labels as a game changer, especially in relation to coping with supply chain operations in a covid-safe manner. “We have partnered with a robotics company located in Shenzhen and is an important development in technology for Australian businesses across the materials handling landscape,” David said.

The company’s partner is focused on the development and commercialisation of vision-based autonomous driving technology for retro fit forklift vehicles, and is committed to delivering costeffective vision-navigated autonomous driving products with high versatility and intelligence.

The driverless solution has been widely applied in various scenarios

There has been a major drive towards autonomous mobile robots in operation over the past 18 months.

48 | MHD MARCH 2021

BPS Global Australia is equipped to seamlessly assist Australian businesses from the East to the West coast.

including factories, warehouses, logistics parks, ports and airports, and it has been adopted in factories and warehouses by over 50 benchmark companies in major industrial sectors including e-commerce logistics, thirdparty logistics, FMCG manufacturing, home appliance manufacturing, new material manufacturing, 3C electronics manufacturing, textile, and printing sectors, improving logistics efficiency.

David says its BPS Global is eager to demonstrate the value autonomous guided forklifts will bring to the local logistics sector through its exclusive international partnership.

INTELLIGENT SOLUTIONS Based on visual driverless platform, autonomous guided forklifts can realise automatic material handling, storage and retrieval, whose applications are mainly for the horizontal transportation in the warehouse and between workshops, vertical picking from and placing to the racks, loading and unloading of the goods, with rated load capacity of 1.6 tons, maximum running speed of 1.5 m/s, maximum lifting height of 9.4m, and one-key manualauto switching mode.

Vehicle carries advanced 3D visual module, and is equipped with carrier detection and rack detection function to self-adapt different carriers and racks; the central control system embraces powerful cloud computing and information storage capacity, and

it can schedule multiple vehicles for collaborative operations, and flexibly integrate with automation equipment and warehouse management system.

David also highlights that the autonomous guided forklifts dualsystem safety setting and 360° laser obstacle-avoidance can ensure the safety of people, vehicles and goods.

“It has been widely applied in various industries including e-commerce, 3PL, 3C manufacturing, food & pharmaceuticals, automobile and new energy. There are already Australian clients who are interested in deploying this new solution,” he says.

BPS Global Australia is equipped to seamlessly assist Australian businesses from the East to the West coast with integrating self-driving industrial vehicle solutions. “Our clients can be assured that our solutions provide high flexibility to application environments and minimum change requirements of the environmental settings as well as incredible performance, adaptability and optimisation,” David says.

“Of course, safety is paramount.

Our autonomous guided forklifts will even be able to replace CCTV cameras due to the bonus security monitoring that are equipped in the solution deployment. To present a forklift with 3D mapping and have a completely new way of evaluating complex warehouse environments, it’s no wonder this international technology will be a gamechanger.” ■

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MHD SUPPLY CHAIN

SUPPLY CHAIN CONTINUITY IN 2021

Keeping promises and building loyalty is now a reality for all brands big and small.

Supply chain continuity has never been more relevant or necessary than it is today.

Raghav Sibal, Managing Director of Australia and New Zealand for Manhattan Associates tells MHD readers how to meet the demands of tomorrow’s customers.

A

lmost a year into the global pandemic, it is no exaggeration to say that maintaining supply chain continuity, has literally been a lifesaving link for billions of people around the globe.

While increasing numbers of consumers are making online purchases, most will simply press ‘click to buy’ and then forget about their purchase until they receive a courier’s email or text regarding delivery or collection slot. 2020 however, showed that supply chain continuity, resiliency and efficiency are not things to be taken for granted.

50 | MHD MARCH 2021

While e-commerce might appear to many consumers as seamless (or miraculous), there are three key areas that businesses need to consider in order to maintain supply chain continuity: omnichannel capabilities; smart warehouses and distribution centre approaches; and intelligent transportation management capabilities, enabling the smooth delivery of goods.

EFFECTIVE OMNICHANNEL TO MANAGE BOTTLENECKS The experiences desired by today’s customers differ as much as their

personalities. One customer’s idea of great retail is a high-touch, intimate encounter at their favourite store location. Another customer may seek convenience, using buy online, pickup in store for prompt delivery.

Effective omnichannel technology can shatter the boundaries between channels, enabling universal capabilities in any location, at any time, with just one application – key for brands that are continuing to experience online surges and looking to manage supply chain bottlenecks.

From company headquarters, to the distribution centre to the store

MHD SUPPLY CHAIN itself, effective omnichannel solutions mean that everyone can now benefit from the same holistic view of customers and their transactions, regardless of channel, courtesy of social listening and automated communications.

With tools for inventory visibility improving accuracy and availability across the entire supply chain network, keeping promises and building loyalty is now a reality for all brands big and small.

Furthermore, with store inventory and fulfilment, physical retail stores can even become fulfilment points (the boom in micro-fulfilment centres is testament to this) enabled with the technology to operate as effectively and efficiently as distribution centres.

SOLUTIONS TO NAVIGATE SKYROCKETING VOLUMES Today, more than ever, businesses and their supply chain leaders need actionable insights across their entire operation from a single, intuitive application.

They need augmented intelligence from AI and machine learning to navigate skyrocketing volumes and decreasing commitment windows, but they also need to creatively engage their work force to integrate automation and robotics capabilities to ensure maximum efficiency.

A key component of supply chain continuity is the combination of all demand, supply, labour, slotting and automation into a precision instrument of efficiency across every facility in the network, regardless of physical size, velocity or volume. If done right, it can transform what a distribution facility is capable of by an order of magnitude.

Sounds complicated right? Luckily help is at hand in the form of Manhattan Active Warehouse Management. This version-less, micro-service architected software never needs upgrading, meaning grocery teams can focus on the quality of products and experiences, rather than systems.

BETTER MANAGE TRANSPORTATION, BETTER MANAGE YOUR BOTTOM LINE The boom in e-commerce over 2020 saw more items and more vehicles moved, more often than ever, making it hard for even the most experienced shippers to plan and execute plans.

A lack of transportation visibility, volatile fuel prices, reduced capacity, new tariffs, governmental regulations and international lockdown protocols, have all had a hand in

Effective omnichannel solutions mean that everyone can now benefit from the same holistic view of customers and their transactions. higher costs and more pressure on already squeezed margins.

Transport management systems therefore need to become more flexible and responsive to price and service pressures, in order to harmonise inbound and outbound logistics management, resulting from the increasing demands weighed upon them by omnichannel customer expectations.

This means that optimisation is no longer just an issue for large global carriers and shippers. The changes in consumer delivery expectations, the reduction in store sizes, and the effort to reduce safety stocks have created a ‘just-in-time’ expectation of transportation that affects every brand today, big or small, regardless of location.

From strategic analysis, procurement and operational planning to execution, visibility and freight payment or claims; when you optimise for less mileage, less time in traffic and more efficiently loaded vehicles, you minimise costs, maximise profitability and drive sustainability.

Supply chain continuity has always been critical, but the events of 2020 have shone a spotlight on this area of global commerce like never before. From omnichannel capabilities, to smarter warehousing and more efficient transportation management solutions, the components that ensure supply chain continuity today are certainly complicated. However, the payoffs and efficiencies they are driving are of pivotal importance in meeting the shifting demands of tomorrow’s consumers. ■

“

Transport management systems therefore need to become more flexible and responsive to price and service pressures, in order to harmonise inbound and outbound logistics management, resulting from the increasing demands weighed upon them by omnichannel customer expectations.

”

MHD MARCH 2021 | 51

MHD SUPPLY CHAIN

INTELLIGENT PRODUCTION LOGISTICS Philipp Mutz, Strategic Industry Manager – Electronics & Solar at SICK says production and intralogistics in the electronics industry are currently undergoing significant changes. He reveals why.

T

he result of rising cost pressures and the need for greater automation as well as increasing product variants and customisation has led to significant changes. Added to this, there are new requirements arising from digitalisation in dynamic markets with ever shorter development cycles.

“From silicon to smartphone” describes the value chain in the electronics industry. It encompasses the manufacture of semiconductor chips based on silicon wafers as well as electronic components such as connectors and capacitors, their placement on printed circuit boards, as well as the mounting of subassemblies and electronic devices.

Whereas the ongoing move towards automation and digitalisation previously focused on individual processes and machines, the emphasis these days is increasingly on production logistics solutions between machines as well as between production and purchasing or distribution logistics. The various affected industry sectors are seeking to achieve more transparency and efficiency in the flow of materials and information. Whether it be by fully linking production lines or with the help of modular manufacturing cells: intelligent sensor solutions allow new logistics concepts or extend existing ones in the electronics industry.

FROM MANUAL TO FULLY AUTOMATED MANUFACTURING The following graphic illustrates various manufacturing concepts based on four different production lines in a factory: Depending on whether numerous variants or high quantities are being produced, you can use either modular 52 | MHD MARCH 2021

manufacturing cells or fully linked production lines. Manual manufacturing is suitable for the production of small quantities or a large number of product variants. Robot assistance allows machines to be loaded automatically, for example in machine parks. Logistics areas such as goods receiving and dispatch are located either upstream or downstream of the manufacturing lines.

If you consider the entire value chain of the electronics industry, you will find that all four manufacturing concepts are used in this industry. The particular level of automation in material transport as well as in other areas of production logistics can vary greatly depending on the type of manufacturing.

The semiconductor industry has been characterised by a high level of automation and productivity for many decades. Fully auto¬mated material transport to the process machines has been standard practice in the industry, in particular in the manufacture of semiconductor chips based on silicon wafers. When using surface-mount technology (SMT), these semiconductor chips and other components are placed on printed-circuit boards. This is done on linear manufacturing lines. From loading to unloading, the process

machines in these lines are connected by conveyor belts.

An extremely diverse manufacturing landscape exists in the manufacture of electronic devices and components. In this case, (partial) processes, for example in mounting, continue to be performed by manual or semi-automated means.

On their path to fully automating the manufacture of electronic assemblies and devices, manufacturers are choosing either fully linked manufacturing lines or modular manufacturing cells.

The particular manufacturing concept chosen depends in particular on the volume and number of variants of the product being manufactured. Fully linked manufacturing lines are generally preferred when producing few variants and high quantities, while modular manufacturing cells are preferred when producing many variants.

PRODUCTION AND LOGISTICS: TWO DISCIPLINES MERGE TOGETHER Production logistics encompasses all the processes between purchasing and distribution logistics that ensure that the machines and workstations are supplied with the right materials or products at the right time and in the right quantity

and quality. The progressive automation and digitalisation of manufacturing can help make the material flow from the delivery of materials to the shipping of the finished product fully transparent. This is where the sensor solutions from SICK come into play. The areas affected by this are shown in the following graphic and described below.

USE CASES IN THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY: SENSOR INTELLIGENCE FOR PRODUCTION LOGISTICS Smart shelf The digitalisation of shelf systems, frequently referred to as “smart shelf”, is becoming more and more commonplace in various areas of the value chain: sensors, identification solutions, and status indicators are increasingly being used, for example, in SMT manufacturing for the storage of printed circuit board magazines or for the provision of production materials for the assembly of electronic devices.

For the automated demand notification in a Kanban system, the empty container is either identified by a worker with the help of codes, or the identification occurs automatically using an RFID transponder as the container is returned. A further possibility is to monitor the quantity of the containers using sensors mounted directly on the shelf: when the level falls below a predefined value, a replenishment is triggered automatically.

SICK is responding to these application requirements with image-based code readers and RFID read/write devices. It also has cascadable detection solutions for monitoring stock levels.

SICK offers 2D LiDAR sensors for checking withdrawals from the shelf and comparing them to the production order.

These sen¬sors can be programmed for the customer-specific application with the help of the SICK AppSpace eco-system. The same applies to programmable Sensor Integration Machines (SIMs) such as the SIM1004, which are suitable for combining, evaluating, archiv¬ing and transferring data from multi-sensor systems. The SIMs collect sensor data, for example the shelf contents detected by the FlexChain automation light grid, or the container identification number identified by UHF write/ read devices. SICK AppSpace can be used to process the data, communicate with higher-level shelf management systems or an MES, and control external sta¬tus indicators. The latter use visual indicators to tell the worker from which shelf compartments they need to withdraw materials, or where to replenish materials.

Digitalised supermarket In electronics manufacturing, after withdrawing material it is necessary to refill the material stock. Employees pick mate¬rials for production from the containers in the so-called FIFO lines based on the “first in first out” (FIFO) principle, or replenish the FIFO lines with material containers. Digitalisation also of¬fers potential opportunities for optimisation in this area, both in regards to transparency and also in the form of optimised space utilisation; for example using RFID-based identification and line allocation.

The RFU65x RFID read/write device identifies RFID tags on material containers and at the same time detects their loca¬tion in the reading field. The device transmits the respective data to a warehouse management system. So you always know which container is pushed into or removed from which FIFO line. The amount of containers in the FIFO line is also transparent at all times. ■

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MHD TRENDS IN IOT

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

HOW TO ENSURE YOUR IOT SOLUTION IS FIT-FOR-PURPOSE We explore five key considerations to deliver scalable fit-for-purpose IoT solutions for the supply chain industry.

By Sam Sharief, COO at Thinxtra, The IoT Telco

A

s technological innovation advances, it is common for prices to drop and products to improve and the Internet of Things (IoT) has followed this common trend.

For the supply chain and logistics industry, IoT solutions promise endless innovative applications that deliver operational efficiencies, create business opportunities and support competitive advantage.

Yet, despite widespread IoT interest, debate and many trials, it is rare to find industrial IoT projects that have reliably scaled.

In our experience of working with many different organisations in this industry, the biggest challenge for scaling occurs because most IoT trials and Proof of Concepts (PoCs) aim to only prove the technology’s capabilities.

Most don’t seek to prove, validate or understand the business benefits that could be unlocked by the data insights IoT solutions can deliver.

The key for successful fit-for-purpose industrial IoT solutions lies in the ability to translate the data into actions which ultimately realise the value, regardless of the technology choice.

FIVE KEY CONSIDERATIONS The key to unlocking true business value at scale lies in designing IoT solutions that are fit-for-purpose for your business. Over the last five years, we have learned from countless projects: 1. Technology agnostic approach It might come as a surprise as we are talking about technology, and despite 54 | MHD MARCH 2021

what many may claim, there is no single IoT technology, solution, or standard that can solve every business problem. In fact, the opposite claim is probably more accurate: the business requirements, operational and cost constraints will eventually lead to the right technology choices.

Every IoT technology brings different strengths and weaknesses. They only emerge when data requirements are mapped to specific operational needs, may they be at local or global scale.

The plethora of IoT solutions available in the market can be confusing and challenging to navigate.

Successful industrial IoT projects are technology agnostic, and need to easily become a natural extension of day-to-day operations. This means the solution needs to be easy to implement and maintain, be robust, reliable and scalable wherever the business operates, regardless of the underlying technology.

2. Clarity of the business problem or opportunity Instead of seeking the latest bright new shiny technology to adopt, the best starting point for leaders is to ask what business problems IoT technology needs to solve and bring the right stakeholders together. Like any transformation project, the adoption of IoT solutions requires a holistic view to orchestrate changes across multiple functions in any organisation.

For example, if the customer experience can be improved to maintain competitiveness, or operational costs

can be lowered, gathering accurate location or condition information of assets as they move through the network could enable these outcomes to be achieved.

If the objective is to support growing demand whilst minimising additional capex expenditure, increasing asset utilisation through data insights can enable the reduction of loss rates, remote asset visibility and therefore faster asset rotation.

3. Ultimately it is all about data: requirements and value IoT is more about data than the name suggests. Data from connected devices help run and optimise a business by enabling faster, better quality decisionmaking. Devices attached to the assets you monitor share updates on key tracking criteria, such as location, temperature or humidity, at regular or event driven intervals. Imagine your asset “could tell you” when it is staying for more than the contracted 60 days in a clients warehouse, or sends an alert when it leaves a defined area.

Data produced from devices can trigger automated workflows or alert stakeholders to take action, faster and more efficiently than through traditional, manual information flow.

For example, if a device monitoring temperature inside a truck transporting chilled goods between cities indicates the temperature is rising above approved levels, an automated alert notifies the Logistics Manager, or truck driver, of the problem. Corrective action occurs based on data produced in real-time.

Once the data requirements, production methods, processing and management costs are defined, the project team can focus on designing the best fit-for-purpose solution, across devices, data, connectivity, digital platforms, process flows and operational support.

4. Fit-for-purpose solution requirement list Although many business environments may seem similar, no two businesses are identical in their business offering or operational practices. These differences mean it is rare to plug-and-play an IoT solution out-of-thebox without the need for some customisation.

For example, IoT Devices must be attached to physical assets in a way that won’t hinder existing operations. The logistical costs of attaching thousands of devices onto assets also means the device must be durable, quick to install, and able to withstand different weather, temperatures, humidity and vibration, all the way down to the choices of the right screws, material or brackets.

Similarly, the battery life of the IoT Device has a very significant impact on ROI. Ideally it supports the lifetime of the asset, which can be many years, and delivers a set-andforget deployment. Every business has different asset types, from wooden crates, beer kegs, shopping trolleys, baggage trolleys, vehicles, and even livestock.

Considering all these variables means that

you are served best by a fit-for-purpose solution that is configurable and flexible with minimum changes to be made.

“

Data from connected devices help run and optimise a business by enabling faster, better quality decision-making.

”

5. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of an IoT initiative is a key decision factor for every organisation and must include the operational BAU impact and required changes across the business.

A holistic approach is needed to consider all cost drivers for the IoT project deployment, and on an ongoing basis. Critical to include in TCO calculations are costs of: • purchase, or design and development of the right IoT devices to produce and route required data, • quality, reliability and life of the battery to run the IoT device, • installation, deployment and maintenance costs, • customisation for efficient performance, • communications, and making sure communications are available and reliable as needed, • the digital platform enabling workflows which use the data produced to create operational efficiencies, • change management to nurture and sustain adoption.

Successful IoT solutions create significant business value to justify the investment costs of transformation and beyond. ■

MHD MARCH 2021 | 55

MHD PROPERTY FOCUS

A YEAR OF GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY

Luke Crawford, Head of Research and Gavin Bishop, Head of Capital Markets, Industrial | Australia at Colliers highlight the key themes in the market in 2020.

A

gainst a backdrop of changing economic conditions, Australian industrial and logistics assets remain well sought after with $5.49 billion trading in 2020 (>$10 million), up 11.5 per cent from 2019. In a year when volumes for other commercial sectors have fallen sharply, 28.5 per cent of investment volumes in 2020 (across office, retail and industrial) stemmed from the industrial and logistics sector, well above the 15.4 per cent recorded in 2019.

The strong level of investment recorded for the year has come off the back of robust fundamentals within the sector including e-commerce growth, food logistics and infrastructure investment. In tandem with a deeper pool of capital as new entrants into the market emerge, the sector has been brought to the forefront in 2020 and has outperformed all other mainstream real estate asset classes.

Despite the significant depth of capital and an increase in investment volumes

National Online Food Growth, YoY. 56 | MHD MARCH 2021

Gavin Bishop, Head of Capital Markets, Industrial at Colliers.

Luke Crawford, Head of Research at Colliers.

in 2020, the market was constrained by fewer assets being brought to market with a 26.9 per cent fall in the number of assets sold in 2020 when compared to 2019. Sales volumes by number were at their lowest level since 2012.

Beyond the macro themes, investment allocations to the sector have risen significantly with several major institutions seeking to reweight their portfolios and gain further exposure to the industrial and logistics sector. This led to several significant capital raisings in 2020, many of which were oversubscribed and included Charter Hall (CPIF) raising $2.6 billion since April 2020 in two separate raisings.

The following points highlight the key themes in the market in 2020.

• Flight to Quality - Shifting market dynamics has forced groups to reassess risk and chase security and as a result, prime assets have been highly sought after.

MHD PROPERTY FOCUS transactions remain highly sought after. Industrial and logistics portfolio transactions in 2020 amounted to $1.54 billion, down from the $1.8 billion recorded in 2019. Major transactions for the year included the first and second tranche ALDI Portfolio for $648 million and $281.5 million respectively and the Sigma portfolio for $172 million.

National Industrial & Logistics Sale & Leaseback Transactions by sector.

•P urchaser Profile - Domestic institutions were the largest buyer group in 2020, accounting for 78.0 per cent of investment volumes for the year. Offshore investors remained active in 2020, however, their share of total investment volumes has fallen from 28.9 per cent in 2019 to 10.0 per cent in 2020. The lower proportion is the result of travel restrictions and an increased participation in the market via a local manager.

• S ale and Leaseback Transactions Given increased pressure on balance sheets, many industrial businesses are reassessing their capital needs to support their long-term growth. For this reason and coupled with the strength of the industrial and logistics investment market, sale and leaseback transactions have been an integral factor within the investment market in 2020. Sale and leaseback transactions represented almost 50.0 per cent of investment volumes in 2020 with just over $2.6 billion trading via this arrangement.

• Cold Storage & Food Logistics With investors chasing strong nondiscretionary covenants, almost $2.0 billion traded from food backed tenants in 2020 with an average deal size of $90.6 million. Of this amount, 65.0 per cent or $1.29 billion traded from supermarkets with ALDI capturing the bulk of this following their divestment of six distribution centres across two tranches. Cold storage asset acquisitions totalled $694 million in 2020 across 10 transactions.

•P ortfolio Acquisitions - Given fewer assets were brought to market in 2020 and the difficulty in obtaining core and core plus assets on their own, portfolio

“

The strong level of investment recorded for the year has come off the back of robust fundamentals within the sector including e-commerce growth, food logistics and infrastructure investment.

”

•Y ields - Despite challenging economic conditions, yields for industrial and logistics assets continued to compress throughout 2020. The tightening of yields in 2020 has been underpinned by the significant weight of capital seeking to be placed within the sector with groups having to be aggressive in order to secure assets. On average, 41 basis points of compression has been recorded nationally in the prime market over the year compared to 20 basis points in the secondary market. The outperformance of the prime market is the result of the flight to quality thematic as groups place a premium on prime assets backed by a strong covenant.

2021 is shaping up as a year of growth and opportunity for the industrial and logistics market, buoyed by strong fundamentals within the sector which will continue unabated over the coming year. We estimate there to be $26 billion in capital looking to be placed in the market and broadly spread between offshore and domestic institutions as well as private investors.

Given that just $5.49 billion transacted in 2020, it highlights the significant mismatch between supply and demand. This depth of capital will continue to drive further yield compression in the sector in 2021, albeit concentrated in prime assets as investors chase security. ■

National Industrial & Logistics Prime Yield Range by city.

MHD MARCH 2021 | 57

MHD SCLAA

BUSHFIRE RECOVERY: ONE YEAR ON T

he devastating Black Summer bushfires saw lives lost and thousands of homes destroyed.

Some people had their homes saved, but endured the heartache of unbelievable damage to their properties. Many people were then faced with the overwhelming task of rebuilding and sourcing essential items to help meet their immediate and long-term needs.

With its strong network and affiliations with Government, Heads of other industry Associations and directly with the Corporate stakeholders, the SCLAA rolled up its sleeves to directly facilitate the assistance from the Freight, Supply Chain and Logistics industry. The purpose was to achieve the timely and efficient supply and movement of goods to affected areas in the aftermath of the fires.

The result was the formation of a core Freight Taskforce, with a centralised Communication conduit (SCLAA) between various Government, NGO’s and agencies working directly with those affected by the fires and the Supply Chain and Freight Industry.

This single point of Communication co-ordination facilitated the swift supply and delivery of specific goods/ requirements to those in fire affected regional areas.

SCLAA AS CONNECTOR WITH WHAT’S NEEDED TO WHO NEEDS IT- HOW WE DID IT: • Established direct counterpart contacts with various Government, NGO’s and agencies working directly with those affected by the fires.

• Received information from these counterparts on what assistance/ support was required to facilitate their role in the bushfire recovery.

•D isseminated this information to the broad SCLAA network and the networks of other organisations/ associations (FTA, Road Freight NSW, Shipping Australia Ltd, AFIF) who have members/contacts with supply chain, logistics and transport 58 | MHD MARCH 2021

within Australia.

• SCLAA received all responses and forwarded each response directly to the contact requesting the support.

The response and generosity from the Supply Chain, Freight and Logistics Industry was overwhelming - but much welcomed.

With the view that water, shelter, food would be first priorities for returning locals to fire devastated areas as well as ground crew facilitating clean up, direct contact was established with stakeholders regarding the provision of: • Temporary site offices and Accommodation Units • Refabricated Shipping Containers for permanent/semi permanent housing • Ablution Blocks • Refrigerated & General Purpose Shipping Containers to be used for Storage • Water Tanks (ICB’s and bladder lined shipping containers holding up to 20,000 litres ).

• Transport services for the above-via Road and Rail • Warehouse services for consolidation/ packing of goods to specific requirements • Special purpose fabricated Shipping Containers for food, beverage and general purpose pop up retail service use. (These could be utilized by local business owners for their economic sustainability whilst rebuild takes place) • Regional intermodals to be used for consolidation of freight commodities, rail and road servicing, such as the Sada Intermodal in Spring Farm and Goulburn Intermodal for the provision of industrial land to cater for consolidation of goods, interim storage of heavy equipment and dispatch/receival of containerized freight close to regional towns.

FEEDBACK FROM INDUSTRY AND RECIPIENTS: It’s heartening to see SCLAA leading the industry to support the

unprecedented events which no doubt will take months (perhaps years) to recover.

Priyani Withanaarachchi Often once the fires have stopped the clean-up and assistance is ongoing i.e. re-building esp. farm fences etc. providing the logistics / transport support to these volunteers to move the much needed equipment, fence posts, fencing wire and catering for the work crews that spend their weekends helping farmers recover is one of the best ways we can use our collective resources and logistics skills sets to assist those affected in our community - so well done to the SCLAA on this initiative.

Nigel Edwards (Director) Dotcom Logistics Pty Ltd. I had the pleasure of being invited by Sue (Tomic) at your recent Awards event and was quite impressed with the (SCLAA) organisation.

We could also assist the local organisations on the ground by donating a number of our containers for the transport and/or storage of some essential goods that will later be required in the build-up/recovery efforts of the areas that have been affected.

Eddy Declercq (Managing Director) OOCL (Australia) Pty Ltd The Sada Group is happy to work with SCLAA and their associates Sada can assist with freight and logistical services including collection, storage etc of essential items / gear and distribution by both road and rail to regional hubs. I have experienced first hand the fires over the new year period and commend the SCLAA on this initiative.

Tony McFadden (CEO) Sada Group AFIF is pleased to assist with promoting this community support initiative to our members.

MHD SCLAA

The bushfires have been truly devastating and affected so many people and communities. Well done to SCLAA and your members for the response.

Stuart McFarlane, Business Affairs Manager, Australian Federation of International Forwarders (AFIF) Ltd It is great to see the Australian community supporting the bushfire victims. FTA is completely behind this initiative and I will lend my assistance in coordination with our members.

Caroline Zalai, Director, Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA) Pty Ltd

A FEW STORIES OF SCLAA CO-ORDINATED SUPPORT TO RESILIENCE NSW AND THE LOCAL RECOVERY BlazeAid Belowra Valley Camp Requirements SCLAA, in conjunction with the Joint Recovery Task Force NSW, assisting BlazeAid with helping Eurobodalla Shire communities and businesses rebuild after the recent bushfires and floods.

The camp will be working with the community and responsible for the repair and rebuilding of fences in the rural areas in order to enable local Australian farmers to retrieve and secure their stock and resume farming operations. Thank you Maersk Shipping for your assistance!

Provision and Transport of shipping containers, Ablution blocks (showers and toilets) for Volunteers (is) much appreciated. Thanks so much Sue Vince Heys, BlazeAid Moruya Transport of Goods -Torquay to Buchan Lions Club members collected a range of tools, including wheel barrows, gardening tools and hand power tools, -8 trailer loads were distributed to those in Gippsland affected by the bush fires. BlazeAid assisted with the off loading. A big Thank You to Visa Global Logistics for facilitating the Transport of these critical goods I just wanted to write to you on a personal note to say thank you for you and your organisations incredible generosity. Your support was absolutely critical to getting the donations to a community in need.

Nicholas Handbury (Manager Donations Philanthropy and Charity Coordination) Bushfire Recovery Victoria Setup Assistance of the State Disaster and Donations Logistics Centre (SDDLC) The inception and operation of the

“

The result was the formation of a core Freight Taskforce, with a centralised Communication conduit (SCLAA) between various Government, NGO’s and agencies working directly with those affected by the fires and the Supply Chain and Freight Industry.

”

State Disaster and Donations Logistics Centre (SDDLC) as a central storage and redistribution centre was used to redirect donated and surplus items impacting on local recovery across many local councils and communities. The Centre was responsible for repurposing and redistribution of these goods to a number of stakeholders across bushfire affected communities.

The SCLAA assisted with provisions under tight timeframes to enable the Centre to begin timely operations with the receival and dispatch of goods Well done to SCLAA National Partner, Toyota Materials Handling for donation of equipment, Jason L Furniture for all office furniture delivery and fitout and to Linfox for supplying pallet racking.

I personally had the pleasure of being present at the initial setup of this centre and its final closing which occurred this week.

The centre was instrumental in the storage and relocation of goods as and when they were required by Bush fire communities.

Overflow goods were donated to local charities. Whilst the immediate bushfire crisis has long ceased in NSW, the rebuilding phase continues, The SCLAA, on behalf of the Supply Chain Industry, looks forward to providing continued assistance to Resilience NSW, associated Government departments, NGO’s and Regional Councils in our collaborative efforts to rebuild devastated communities.

Sue Tomic, Vice Chair, SCLAA ■

Sue Tomic from SCLAA and Shane Fitzsimmons from Resilience NSW.

MHD MARCH 2021 | 59

MHD FROM THE ALC

A NATIONAL OPERATING STANDARD IS KEY TO IMPROVEMENTS

F

or an industry that is heavily reliant on the transport and tracing of deliveries and goods there has been a lack of leadership from government driving a cohesive national approach to the capturing, interpretation, and application of learnings of data to improve economic outcomes for industry and community.

Finally, the calls for better transparency and sharing of data to improve infrastructure planning and safety are gaining traction within the industry.

ALC recently provided the National Transport Commission with its response to the Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement it has published as part of a long running review of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (the HVNL) on behalf of Australian governments.

ALC took the opportunity to promote the concept of the adoption of a national operator standard. ALC has noted that few operators are enrolled in the heavy vehicle accreditation schemes currently operating in Australia.

Recent figures also reveal that: • During the 12 months to the end of September 2020, 162people died from crashes involving heavy trucks.

These included 95 deaths involving articulated trucks and 70 deaths involving heavy rigid trucks • Those fatal crashes involving heavy trucks decreased by 9.5 per cent compared with the corresponding period one year earlier and decreased by an average of 4.2 per cent per year over the three years to September 2020.

Whilst the numbers have encouragingly decreased, this is likely due to the less number of vehicles on the road overall during COVID. It still constitutes far too many deaths.

ALC believes heavy vehicle safety 60 | MHD MARCH 2021

“

Safety management systems are a well-known tool designed to manage workplace safety.

”

would be improved if the HVNL adopted a National Operating Standard with the following elements: 1. Creating a list of operators for the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator Operators would identify who is operating a heavy vehicle and where it is garaged. This basic information will assist the NHVR in regulating the heavy vehicle fleet.

2. M aking safety management systems mandatory Operators would also have to maintain a safety management system (SMS) meeting specified standards contained in the HVNL. Safety management systems are a well-known tool designed to manage workplace safety.

For the purposes of the HVNL, the Standards should ensure that an operator has a system compliant under the Master Code of Practice made under the HVNL. This would provide: • The community with the greatest source of assurance that an operator has in place systems that should lead to a business that is operating safety; and • A common basis against which safety audits can be conducted, as opposed to the current situation

where operators having to undertake a number of audits using marginally different standards, which adds to cost and inconvenience but not to safety outcomes.

3. E nsuring an operator has the capital to maintain a heavy vehicle Operators would also need to have access to a specific amount of capital so vehicles can be maintained.

Any financially troubled or undercapitalised business is tempted to cut corners. In the search for cost reductions, vehicle maintenance may be neglected, which in turn increases the chance of an accident related to mechanical problems.

Maintenance is classically one of the discretionary expenses cut by an operator to make ends meet.

4. M andatory collection of data Finally, operators would need to capture data using equipment that is compatible with standards made under the National Telematics Framework.

This would allow: • road owners to fully understand the volumes of heavy vehicle traffic on their network; • the NHVR to gain information on vehicle speed and the amount of time a vehicle has been in operation where there is cause to investigate; • operators to have data that can help them develop their business and comply with their legal obligations; and • road owners access to the best data to make decisions as to whether a particular vehicle should access a road.

It will be an opportunity lost if the National Operating Standard concept is not fully tested as the law reform process continues. ■

SEPT 2021

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MHD FROM ASCI

R

ASCI IS GATHERING A TALENT POOL OF EXPERTS

egistration under ASCI’s Professional Accreditation Scheme offers an equitable, rigorous, evidence-based process to be recognised for your career achievements for eligibility into either Associate or Practitioner Registration via four streams

(procurement, operations, logistics and integrated logistics support).

ASCI celebrates International Women’s Day this year tapping into the international theme #ChooseToChallenge as we hear how supply chain leaders, some of whom are

already Registered under the Scheme for career enhancement and recognition, have challenged and demonstrated: • excellence in their careers • commitment to continued learning • commitment to ethical practice within the profession ■

EXPERT PANELLISTS FOR THE WEBINAR INCLUDE:

Alexandra Riha RegPracOps,

Head of SNO APAC, Merck Healthcare ASCI President

Esther McVicar,

Executive Manager, Systems & Quality, Royal Australian Mint | ASCI ACT Chapter

62 | MHD MARCH 2021

Linda Venables RegPracLog,

Former Head of Logistics, Metcash & ASCI Director

Rebecca Presgrave RegPracProc, ANZ Head of Procurement, PZ Cussons | ASCI Ethics Member

MHD FROM ASCI

WEBINAR When: 1-2pm AEDT Wednesday 10 March 2021 Registration: Zoom link available via ASCI website (scan QR code) Missed the webinar? All ASCI Webinars are recorded and made publicly available via the ASCI YouTube Channel (scan QR Code)

ant to know if you are eligible to Register under the ASCI Professional W Accreditation Scheme? Visit our website to download the free Provisional Eligibility Assessment: https://www.asci.org.au/registration-process or contact enquiries@asci.org.au ASCI YouTube Channel For IWD Webinar

CONTINUED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Who will take home the ASCI Leadership Cup at the Australian Final of The Fresh Connection?

ASCI is offering The Fresh Connection Global PRO Challenge to be held in May 2021 and pre-competition training in April, as part of its Continued Professional Development Program.

The Fresh Connection Global PRO

Challenge is designed as a unique Value Chain Management training event. From the very start, teams have to make the best strategic and tactical choices to save the virtual company, The Fresh Connection, from financial ruin.

In teams of four, you will first take part in open training workshops to help you prepare for the actual challenge and to be benchmarked against other participating teams. The

cost covers three sessions of online training to be held in March/April as well as entry into an Australian Final online (where the ASCI Leadership Cup will be awarded) and entry into the Global PRO Challenge to be held in May 2021 online.

Another Global PRO Challenge will be held in Sept/Oct, and only the best two teams from both PRO finals will be selected to go into a Global PRO Final, to be held online in November 2021. ■

Training sessions: - 8 Mar 2021, 1:00 PM 3:00 PM (UTC+11:00) - 1 Apr 2021, 1:00 PM 3:00 PM (UTC+11:00) - 15 Apr 2021, 1:00 PM 3:00 PM (UTC+10:00) Cost: $1,600 per corporate team of 4 (ASCI can group individuals into teams for $400pp) • ASCI Member discounts are available, save $100 • ASCI Continued Professional Development points will be awarded to participants to go towards their Registration Maintenance.

Contact: enquiries@asci.org.au or scan the QR code to register your team

oin ASCI and take steps towards your professional career pathway in 2021.

J Membership starts at $275 with concessions are available upon evidence of your employment situation or membership to another association.

Visit: https://www.asci.org.au/Join

MHD MARCH 2021 | 63

MHD PRODUCT SHOWCASE

HAIPICK ROBOTIC CASE-HANDLING AUTOMATIC STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM The HAIPICK robotic case-handling automatic storage and retrieval system is a true pioneer - the first invented, and the first to be integrated into a commercial setting. Consisting of high bay robots, multi-functional workstations, smart charging stations, and intelligent management and storage systems, HAIPICK also has the ability to handle mixed tote and carton picking, plus the option of double-deep retrieval. Find out how you can increase your warehouse storage capacity by 80% and increase your inbound efficiency 4x with BPS Global Australia.

For more information call Malcolm on 0409 101 471, or visit bps-au.com.

VARY NARROW AISLE FORKLIFTS NKC’s VNA’s have either bi-directional or tri-directional forks, Standard application limited to 11 metres in 1.8 aisle width and customisation available.

AGV’s are a natural replacement for traditional forklifts. Providing enviable flexibility and capability – any pallet up to 6 tonne.

The most reliable navigation system in our industry. Each AGV can be configured to laser guidance, inertial guidance, inductive guidance or combination based on customer requirements.

Reliable and flexible package consisting of traffic management and system supervision. We can also provide customisation and integration with any ERP, WMS, MES and PLC’s.

For more information, contact NKC Australia. P: 03 93105612.

E: email@nkcaust.com.au. W: www.nkcaust.com.au.

SCRUBMASTER B260R

KÖRBER’S PAY-AS-YOU-GO ANDROID VOICE

Ideally suited for cleaning shopping centres, logistics halls, or production facilities in the automotive industry: Available with working widths of 108 and 123 cm and equipped with either 2- or 3-disc brushes or a cylindrical brush unit as well as a 260-litre tank, the Scrubmaster B260 R is your perfect choice when long operating times on large areas are required. Your superior benefits: Powered by a 480 Ah battery, this machine provides a cleaning performance of up to 8,600 m2/h and is equipped with a 20-litre capacity on-board dosing system for cleaning chemicals. Different attachments are available to flexibly extend the Scrubmaster B260 R’s range of applications beyond mere scrubbing & drying.

Körber Supply Chain’s Android Voice newly launched Pay-As-You-Go solution, in partnership with Honeywell, gives operators the freedom to carry out their tasks efficiently and productively. The solution ensures users are no longer required to spend time looking at picking slips but can instead listen to order details while they continue to pick and pack.

To find out more, visit: www.hakoaustralia.com.au.

64 | MHD MARCH 2021

To find out more, visit: www.koerber-supplychain.com.

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MHD PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE A monthly wrap up of the latest appointments in the supply chain, materials handling and logistics industry.

HEALTHY HEADS IN TRUCKS AND SHEDS APPOINTS NEW CEO

MORE SENIOR APPOINTMENTS AT TM INSIGHT

NEW MARCOMMS APPOINTMENT AT DEMATIC

Mental health foundation for transport and logistics workers, Healthy Heads in Trucks and Sheds, has welcomed Naomi Frauenfelder as the Foundation’s

Danny Green, former National Director in Industrial Occupier Services at Colliers, will join TM Insight as Senior Consultant. Danny will be assisting TM

Cara Skelsey has been promoted to Marketing Communications Manager APAC at Dematic. Cara was previously

inaugural Chief Executive Officer.

Insight’s clients with their requirements in Victoria and across Australia.

ARTC INLAND RAIL CEO RETIRES

NEW CEO APPOINTED TO DHL’S DIGITAL FREIGHT PLATFORM

JEFF BEZOS TO STEP DOWN FROM CEO ROLE

Dr. Antje Huber is now the Chief Executive Officer of DHL’s digital freight platform Saloodo! with plans to further expand its international presence. She succeeds Thomas Grunau, who has

US-based e-commerce company, Amazon, with Jeff Bezos, current Founder and CEO of the company set to transition to the role of Executive Chair in Q3 2021. Andy Jassy will become CEO at that time.

After three years at the helm, Richard Wankmuller will be retiring mid this year as Chief Executive Officer of Inland Rail at the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC). The ARTC Board has begun the process to replace Richard.

Senior Marketing Communications Specialist at Dematic and has been with the company for more than 10 years.

successfully managed the company in this capacity since 2018.

Do you have career news to share? Email Melanie Stark at melanie.stark@primecreative.com.au to be featured.

66 | MHD MARCH 2021