Worldwide, in the warehousing business, when future operations are discussed, the conversation is likely to be about more automation, greater variety, better systems, more integration, more efficiency and greater flexibility. The dreams, discussions and plans focus on issues such as robotics, the ‘Internet of Things’, tomorrow’s deliveries by drones, 3D printing, multi-channel fulfilment, ecommerce growth, rapid fulfilment and the need to individualise operations.
Logistics sustains our lifestyle and businesses activities. Physical objects are moved in containers, stored, realised, supplied and used throughout the world, allowing the globalisation of world trade. But there is still a harsh fact to be solved due to the inefficiency and unsustainability of the processes from an economic, environmental and social perspective.
It’s easy to think supply chains consist of co-ordinated processes, enabled by cool IT, through which needed products flow smoothly with occasional storage to the end consumer. Great in theory but it takes the right people doing the right things at the right time to make end customers happy.
September saw the respective international conferences of two major supply chain management industry bodies – that of the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA, in Taipei) and that of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT, in Dubai). At both gatherings there was substantial African representation and, at the CILT Convention, Africans were in a clear majority. What does this imply for African businesses?
Innovation is a critical element in the supply chain. As such, it is important that companies assess the culture of innovation in their organisation.