NSW/ACT Divisional Report

Industry Collaboration with TAFE NSW

I had the privilege of representing the Supply Chain & Logistics Association of Australia (SCLAA) at the TAFE NSW Open Day in August, which took place at the Ultimo campus. We at the SCLAA take immense pride in our partnership with TAFE NSW.

The open day achieved remarkable success, drawing a high turnout of prospective students, families, and friends. The event included program presentations, campus tours, interactive demonstrations, meeting faculty staff, showcasing student projects, career guidance, Q&A sessions and much more. There was an immense interest in Supply Chain & Logistics education offered by the Supply Chain and eCommerce Team at TAFE Sydney Region, as well as curiosity about the SCLAA. The ongoing collaboration between TAFE NSW and SCLAA, resulted in a special membership discount offer for all TAFE students who choose to become SCLAA members.

TAFE NSW’s vision is ‘To be the leading provider of lifelong learning, meeting the evolving needs of industry and learners in communities across NSW’. TAFE NSW works closely with industry and local communities to develop and deliver industry leading training solutions.

TAFE NSW offers a range of nationally accredited courses in Supply Operations, Driving Operations, Procurement and Contracting, Freight Forwarding, Customs Broking and Supply Chain Management to name a few.

I would like to express my appreciation to TAFE NSW Ultimo for their collaborative efforts in promoting this partnership.

Mary Solimon NSW/ACT Committee

Industry site tour of TAFE NSW Institute of Applied Technology

In today’s dynamic business landscape, the Supply Chain and Logistics industry faces ever-evolving challenges. In September TAFE NSW Institute of Applied Technology hosted an Industry site tour at Meadowbank, where they outlined their continuous commitment to tackling these challenges head-on through collaboration with industry leaders.

As the demands on the Supply Chain and Logistics sector continue to grow, it’s crucial that our workforce is equipped with the right skills and knowledge. By working closely with key players in the industry, TAFE NSW are dedicated to identifying the skills gaps and designing training programs that fill them effectively.

TAFE NSW are eager to build on our partnerships with leading industry partners like the Supply Chain & Logistics Association of Australia (SCLAA) and Training Services NSW to name a few, to address these workforce challenges together. By aligning our training programs with real-world industry needs, we are fostering a workforce that is adaptable, innovative, and ready to navigate the complexities of modern Supply Chain and Logistics.

TAFE NSW believe that our robust conversations have laid the foundation for future collaboration and problem-solving. Together, we have the potential to drive positive change in the Supply Chain and Logistics industry.

A massive thank you to Supply Chain & Logistics Association of Australia (SCLAA),Training Services NSW and other industry members for your active participation and insightful contributions to this event. It’s through conversations like these that we make progress and drive innovation in our industry. TAFE NSW also wanted to extend a heartfelt thank you to the team at TAFE NSW IAT Meadowbank that helped coordinate this exciting Industry site tour. They look forward to hosting another in the near future.

Michael Farragher NSW/ACT Committee

Congratulations

The NSW Training Awards are conducted annually by Training Services NSW within the NSW Department of Education to recognise outstanding achievement in the Vocational Education and Training sector. The Awards honour and reward the achievements of students, Trainers/Teachers, Registered Training Organisations, large and medium Employers.

Michael Farragher is the NSW Training VET Trainer/ Teacher of the Year 2023 for the Central & Northern Sydney Region. He is a TAFE NSW Teacher in Supply Chain and Logistics and a member of SCLAA Training, Education and Development Committee.

The SCLAA team would like to congratulate Michael Farragher on reaching the NSW State Finals and being shortlisted in the top 3 VET Trainer/Teacher of the Year for 2023 in NSW from thousands of eligible applicants. As a finalist in the state, “you have reached a well-deserved milestone in your career. Your students are fortunate to have you as their teacher, and your influence goes far beyond the classroom. We are proud of you and wish you continued success in your teaching journey”.

a presentation by Booktopia and Grant Thornton Australia, the Management Consulting firm that helped Booktopia design and implement the new CFC. The presentation covered the strategic objectives, the business case, the technology solutions, the project management, and the outcomes of the new CFC.

The attendees then had a chance to see the new CFC in action, which spans over 20,000 sqm and has a oneway flow of books from receiving to dispatching. The CFC is fitted with ~100 Locus robots that work alongside ~117 human workers (depending on volume) to pick and pack books faster and more accurately. The CFC also has an area for expansion for future growth and optimisation.

The attendees were able to interact with some of the key pieces of technology that the CFC uses, such as:

Locus robots – this is the big draw card as there is no other implementation of this size in Australia and its market leading technology.

Packaging automation – CMC machines, Ranpak Flap’its

Interoll conveyors -Installed and designed by Dexion Liverpool

• Interoll Outbound Sorter

• Adept Inbound sorter

Thomax Technology (.WMS)

The tour ended with a Q&A session, where the attendees asked questions and shared their feedback with Booktopia and Grant Thornton Australia. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, as a lot of engagement was around the flexibility and scalability of

Booktopia Site Tour

SCLAA held a site tour at Booktopia to showcase its latest implementation of supply chain tech in conjunction with Grant Thornton.

The tour was a great opportunity for SCLAA members and other industry professionals to see how Booktopia, Australia’s leading online book retailer, transformed its supply chain and created a new era of online book retailing with advanced automation and robotics.

The tour was fully booked with approximately 35 attendees, who were eager to learn from Booktopia’s experience and innovation. The tour started with the automation with the Locus Cobots.

The tour was a success for both Booktopia, Grant Thornton and the SCLAA, as they showcased the expertise and innovation of Australian supply chain and logistics professionals. The tour also provided some key learnings and insights for the attendees, such as:

• The importance of aligning the design with the business strategy and customer requirements.

• The value of using flexible automation that can adapt to changing demand and business conditions.

• The need for detailed transition planning to minimise business interruption during solution cut-over.

• The benefit of having a blended team of client staff and consultants to ensure knowledge transfer and ownership.

• The opportunity for horizon 2 planning for the next phases of efficiencies ,cost reduction and value creation.

The SCLAA would like to thank Booktopia and Grant Thornton Australia for hosting the site tour and sharing their knowledge and experience with us. We would also like to thank all the attendees for their participation and enthusiasm. We hope you enjoyed the tour as much as we did.

Julian Brancaccio NSW/ACT State President

julian.brancaccio@sclaa.com.au