Organisations all over the world are consistently trying to make a move towards efficiency and innovation. However while most organisations “try”, some simply just “do”. For an industry that may seem like as old as time itself, it might look like there isn’t a lot of space for change and better systems. Thankfully, many global innovators are proving that wrong.
Here’s a bit of a spotlight on some big entities that are truly proving to be movers and shakers in the supply chain management space – hopefully paving the way for others to take inspiration.
Parlamat’s voice-directed system for warehousing operations
Parlamat, one of the largest dairy producers in Australia, has transformed their warehouse management system drastically as they shifted from a paper-based picking system to an utterly voice-directed one. They piloted the system at Parmalat’s Lidcombe distribution centre in western Sydney, surely a risky decision as its one of the key warehouses in their Australian network. However, it seems that the decision paid off as the new voice solution has allowed Parmalat to improve overall warehouse efficiency and properly leverage their labour – achieving a 15% increase in litres per man hour following the system’s roll-out.
Korean Government leverages blockchain in the country’s largest port
A surprising investment in logistics innovation was the implementation of a shipping logistics blockchain pilot at the Port of Busan. This is a huge leap for the Korean Government as it’s not only the country’s largest port but also the world’s fifth busiest container port. While many governments and private companies worldwide are unsure of how to leverage the blockchain hype, the Korean Government is aiming to have the pilot solve real-time sharing constraints, streamline administrative processes for export and import, as well as improve overall transparency between different stakeholders in the logistics industry – definitely a huge feat to achieve.
Amazon offering package delivery franchises
Not all innovations are technology related. In fact, some of the best merely revolve around great, impactful ideas. Amazon proved this when the company announced plans to launch a partner network for delivery services. A franchise would be able to operate a fleet of up to 40 vehicles, leverage on their heavy delivery volumes and make use of Amazon technology for operations. They would work side-by-side with Amazon's existing carriers, truly leveraging their existing network and reach and completely transforming it to be even more profitable than it already is. This also gives local entrepreneurs a great opportunity to make the most out of their brick-and-mortar spaces and provide additional value to their respective local markets.
No cliffs for innovation
While for many it may seem like seemingly traditional supply chain management industry has small space for innovation, it’s clear that people all over the world are always finding new ways to put together new ideas and transform this space. Hopefully, in the coming years, we see many more organizations solidifying this belief as a misconception, and that we see new logistics or warehousing players rolling out more exciting initiatives for us to witness.