Sampling among the newest digital actuality units, you possibly can image enterprises and shoppers making higher use of the metaverse to attach. However in-person occasions stay the gold normal relating to discussing massive business subjects, reminiscent of methods to enhance provide chain efficiency.
Manhattan Associates – a supplier of provide chain options – understands this. The worldwide agency has a convention of holding annual, in-person conferences, which collect software program and {hardware} builders, in addition to cloud specialists, along with prospects to push merchandise to the subsequent degree.
Dubbed Alternate, the agency’s European present – which has been held beforehand in Germany and Spain – came about this 12 months in Cannes, France. And with 370 attendees representing 93 corporations – together with exhibitors, keynote audio system, and breakout session presenters – assembly on the Hôtel Martinez venue, there’s no scarcity of concepts to discover.
So let’s leap straight into our first number of occasion highlights – based mostly on the primary stage program and conversations with attendees – which caught the attention of TechHQ.
Listed here are 5 methods to enhance provide chain efficiency:
1- Eradicate bridges and expertise circulate
Within the opening keynote, Eddie Capel – President and CEO of Manhattan Associates – drew an analogy between profitable organizations and athletes in a state of circulate. He describes the mind-set, the place individuals discover themselves absolutely immersed in an exercise, because the candy spot between too straightforward and too onerous.
Opening the occasion: Eddie Capel units the scene for enhancing provide chain efficiency. Photograph: JT.
By some estimates, spending 15% extra time in partaking duties can add as much as 200% extra efficiency. Virtually, enterprises can up their circulate by including expertise and different constructive qualities to their group. And that know-how may be shared, bringing the dialogue again to why getting stakeholders collectively to enhance provide chain efficiency delivers outcomes.
Capel drew consideration to the pinch level that happens when there’s no real-time interplay between warehouse administration programs (WMS) and transport administration programs (TMS). “Bridges are the largest downside with this structure,” he advised keynote attendees.
Having to ship data backwards and forwards between separate WMS and TMS components not solely takes time, however the strategy runs into issues when issues change out of sequence. To unify provide chain administration, Capel recommends utilizing a cloud-native platform and feeding data right into a single supply of reality utilizing composable microservice APIs.
2 – Get knowledgeable recommendation on avoiding low branches
Selecting up on the theme of APIs, David Quin – Location Expertise Govt at Trimble Maps, highlighted the significance of gathering data from programs with the precise degree element. Talking with TechHQ within the Expertise space, the place attendees had the prospect to talk with builders and watch demonstrations of how provide chain efficiency may be improved, Quin shared the instance of car transporters.
“The vehicles must keep away from low branches,” he stated, mentioning how the valuable cargo is uncovered on the highest deck. Automobile transporters can carry as many as 12 vehicles at a time. Nonetheless, common route mapping providers don’t have enough element relating to options reminiscent of tree cowl.
Trimble’s stay knowledge providers not solely assist operators keep away from low branches, they’ll suggest routes to maximise gas effectivity and decrease emissions, in addition to reply different logistics questions. And, they’re simply an API name away, in case you’re utilizing a provide chain administration platform based mostly on composable microservices.
3 – Take note of the ground and canteen
Similar to a tiny stone can ship a skateboarder flying, warehouse flooring must be easy and degree to offer an correct platform for automation – and these particulars must be flagged in order that building crews are conscious.
It’s simply one in all many insights that Justin Cox – Group Provide Director of JD Sports activities – shared with the viewers in one of many buyer periods. Inside days of becoming a member of the agency, Cox was making calls on what wanted to be achieved to make sure that a warehouse – which was a spec construct, fairly than having been purposed designed – was match for the job.
Demo time at Alternate 2023: David Siberry, Senior Options Marketing consultant at Manhattan Associates, reveals how fashionable apps and contact display screen units mix to hurry up warehouse duties. GIF: JT.
His selections included requesting that the ground be floor as he knew that the AutoStore system, which might be central to the distribution middle’s operations, wanted a flat ground.
In addition to the 300,000 bin AutoStore, the ability additionally options a fantastic canteen – to spice up the enchantment of the office for workers. “It’s one factor choosing nice automation programs, however with out nice individuals it’s unimaginable,” he stated.
4 – Keep abreast of the most recent software program options
With updates coming thick and quick, provide chain software program can assist companies in ways in which customers could not have seen. For instance, Brian Kinsella – SVP of Product Administration at Manhattan Associates – introduced the agency’s dynamic load-building software, which is coming quickly to the platform.
The software program provides customers a visible illustration of axle balancing and optimum back and front loading, which might allow increased trailer utilization and profit car dealing with. There are different instruments on the horizon too.
TechHQ’s @JT_bluebird1 is in Cannes 🇫🇷 to listen to the most recent #supplychain success tales at @ManhAssocNews Alternate 2023. For a recap on all issues supplychain #tech 👉https://t.co/Z2WnwbCKh1 pic.twitter.com/YmCFVW5gbc
— TechHQ (@techhq) October 10, 2023
One concept being explored with choose prospects is so-called energetic yard administration. In improvement, the system allocates yard slots based mostly on putaway places – matching the incoming load to its closing vacation spot to optimize warehouse operations.
It’s one in all numerous examples of how unified provide chain administration will proceed to unlock positive aspects for operators.
5 – Get buyers extra concerned
Understanding buyer conduct has all the time been necessary, and at the moment that features the ‘blue dot’ impact – an commentary made by Ken Hughes, a number one advisor on retail tendencies to among the world’s greatest manufacturers, who spoke at Alternate 2023 – the place the whole lot involves the client.
Consumers are central fairly than being on the finish of the chain. And as provide chain administration programs turn into extra succesful, it’s clear that prospects can turn into extra concerned, which helps companies on a number of fronts.
In a breakout session, Amy Tennent, Senior Director of Product Administration at Manhattan Associates, described among the advantages that shoppers had been seeing. “New implementations are exhibiting product supply guarantees earlier within the buyer journey,” she identified.
Having that information improves the client expertise and will increase gross sales conversion. Her crew is working with Google to make extra correct supply estimates – validated utilizing machine studying instruments, for instance – accessible in search engine outcomes.
One other efficiency enhance comes from giving prospects the power to handle their orders proper up till dispatch. The characteristic improves provide chain efficiency because it means fewer returns. Self-service choices additionally assist contact middle groups as they scale back the variety of buyer order queries that should be dealt with through voice or textual content channels.
Community impact
Sharing provide chain success tales is an efficient means of constructing the transport of products extra environment friendly, as everybody advantages. And we’ve simply scratched the floor, as there a many extra subjects to discover on this theme.
Disclosure: the invitation to attend Alternate 2023 included journey (Financial system) and in a single day lodging.
