How Dematic is guiding supply chain companies through the technology maze

13 November 2019 | 4071 Shares

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It takes a global view to be able to track all the changes that are impacting on societies, cities, and people right around the world.

Technology permeates everywhere, and manifests at different speeds, in different parts of peoples’ lives. In Asia, for instance, some of the most connected populations and businesses live side-by-side with areas where there is practically no access to technology at all.

In Europe and the Americas, technology’s penetration is more homogeneous, but uptake of and attitudes towards new-gen tech vary: 5G uptake is quicker in Asia, but Northern Europe’s use of IoT in heavy industry is remarkable. In the US, Japan, South Korea, and China, the level of tech adoption is high, and many brands remain household names right across the globe.

Finding new opportunities for businesses, therefore, requires the bigger picture as new markets open, others decline, and geographical differences and cultural preferences alter the way that companies do business. Across the globe, new generations of technology users have grown up in an always-on, always-connected environment, and there’s an expectation that purchasing goods and services should be as easy as a smartphone screen tap.

Responding to the changing picture: the supply chain

For retailers and the industries that support them along the supply chain, creating those seamless experiences expected by today’s businesses and consumers is a complicated task. That’s especially the case for large, global companies, as many of the worldwide preferences and complexities mentioned above need to be considered. Creating the perfect “customer experience” in every possible instance, anywhere on the globe, isn’t just the retailer’s job: the warehouse, the distribution network, the logistics and shipping companies, the last-mile delivery service; all of these play their parts.

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But new technology isn’t just driving attitude changes in consumers and customers. It’s also empowering businesses to provide better services that are more agile and responsive — and those efficiencies can get passed onto the end-customer, whether that’s a faster micro-fulfillment process or safer working practices for warehouse staff. In the age of industry 4.0, IoT, and AI, the supply chain industry needs to embrace the types of new technologies that are literally changing the way people think.

Discovering, exploring, deploying, and making the most of technology — which is often described as digital transformation — can seem very complicated and not designed nor suited for supply companies. Without a broad, global grasp of the types of practical technology ideal for the supply chain industry, many companies are unsure of how to proceed: Can we use AI? How do we supply and enable an omnichannel retail experience? Can our storage be optimized and automated to save costs?

Looking to expertise for specialist guidance

Digital transformation need not be undertaken alone, however. Industry-specialist Dematic has the oversight that’s needed by global businesses just like yours and the product portfolio that will drive digital transformation in a practical, impactful, and far-sighted way. The results are making supply chain specialists operate leaner, and with increased agility; in short, capable of empowering their customers who are providing in an always-connected, digital world.

Practicalities encountered today, like a labor force that favors flexibility and work-life balance, can be embraced given the right technology solutions. For example, warehouse automation, robotics, and solution that can manage “cross-docking” from Dematic help drive down costs and present a more efficient, more cost-conscious offering to partners. The US-based company invests in its own unique research and development projects that actively investigate new technologies that can be put into practical use today, like “smart goggles” that present metadata to staff, ensuring order accuracy and product quality.

The unique product portfolio of Dematic means that the disparate elements of complex supply chains can become a more interconnected whole. Advanced logistics tracking can “team” with stock control software to ensure higher order fulfillment metrics. The benefits to the supply chain organisation are apparent in the bottom line and repeat business, and the consumer or customer receives the benefits.

The “customer experience” is the key to new-generation retailers’ success; a series of successful, joined-up touchpoints and communications, backed with efficient service and delivery that seems simple (and hides the underlying complexity). Omnichannel retail and micro-fulfillment are very delicate operations to run well, and it’s to Dematic that many are turning to fulfill expectations and find new possibilities for retailers’ suppliers as tech develops.

Click here to get in touch with a representative to talk about how the company can help your digital transformation strategy and discover the new markets and opportunities that technology is revealing today and into the future.