DHL: transforming logistics with startup partnerships

DHL large electirc vehicle

DHL large electirc vehicle

Supply Chain Digital gets an insight into DHL’s partnerships with startups to drive digitalisation and sustinability within the business.

When it comes to innovations at DHL, the company values its partnerships both big and small. In recent years many startups have entered into the logistics industry. Markus Kückelhaus, VP of Innovation and Trend Research at DHL raises the question of why?

“The logistics industry is a very fragmented sector that is still catching up. Which is why this industry is interesting to startups,” says Kückelhaus who highlights that due to the industry’s small attempts at digitalisation, in addition to growing investments into logistics, there has been an increase in opportunities for startups.

Effidence

Founded in 2009, Effidence is a French research and robotics startup that develops collaborative robotic solutionsin logistics and agriculture. DHL has partnered with Effidence to develop its ‘follow me’ robotic trolleys.

Locus Robotics

Founded in 2014, Locus Robotics is an American robotic technology company that develops warehouse solutions to improve productivity. DHL has partnered with Locus Robotics to develop its Aisle picking robots.

University of Aachen

Established in 1870, the University of Aachen strives to drive innovative discoveries that impact global challenges. The German university partnered with DHL in 2012 on a new initiative to combat global warming. DHL worked with the university to develop its own electric vehicles as part of its mission to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050. Currently DHL has 10,000 electric vehicles out on the roads aiming to replace all 55,000 global vehicles in its fleet to electric.

Read more at DHL: transforming logistics with startup partnerships

Share your opinions with us in the comment box, and subscribe to us to be the first one to get our updates.

SEE ALSO:

  1. DHL – the world’s leading contract logistics provider
  2. DHL’s innovation center driving digitalisation and sustainability
  3. DHL: Talent management within logistics
  4. Read the latest issue of Supply Chain Digital here

DHL Supply Chain introduces first digital twin of warehouse in Asia for Tetra Pak

The market leader in contract logistics, DHL Supply Chain, is introducing its first digital twin of a warehouse in the Asia-Pacific region for Tetra Pak with one goal in mind: optimised, agile and cost-efficient supply chains.

The warehouse is one of the biggest Tetra Pak warehouses worldwide and remains the first smart warehouse for DHL in the Asia-Pacific region that exists as a digital twin.

Having launched an integrated supply chain for Tetra Pak in Singapore, the digital twin is supplied with real-time data on a consistent basis from the physical warehouse in Singapore and makes changes consistently in real-time.

“The joint implementation of such a digital solution to improve Tetra Pak’s warehousing and transport activities is an excellent example of the smart warehouses of the future,” said Jerome Gillet, CEO, DHL Supply Chain Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines. “This enables agile, cost-effective and scalable supply chain operations.”

DHL Supply Chain is focusing on technologies and processes such as physical objects like industrial trucks kitted out with IoT technology. The DHL Control Tower tracks incoming and outgoing goods to ensure all goods are stored in the correct way within 30 minutes of receipt.

Tetra Pak has developed a smart storage solution that tracks and simulates the physical condition and individual stock levels in real-time, allows smooth non-stop coordination of operations, makes faults visible as well as improves safety and productivity in the warehouse.

DHL Supply Chain Singapore has in-depth expertise in the region in achieving individual customer needs, the firm provides Third-Party Logistics (3PL) solutions in which customers can outsource their logistics management and operations.

“We expect the partnership with DHL Supply Chain to further increase our productivity and maintain high standards in our supply chains,” commented Devraj Kumar, Director, Integrated Logistics, South Asia, East Asia & Oceania, Tetra Pak.

Read more at DHL Supply Chain introduces first digital twin of warehouse in Asia for Tetra Pak

Share with us your opinions and subscribe us to get updates

New DHL report reviews supply chain real estate

Companies are re-thinking their go-to-market strategies and, as a result, making different choices about how they locate, design and operate their distribution networks.

This has created a new landscape for supply chain real estate, according to a report published by DHL. Global and regional supply chains are changing, as they adapt to the new realities of commerce and competition.

The findings are part of The New Landscape of Supply Chain Real Estate report, which has been authored by Lisa Harrington, President of the lharrington group LLC, in collaboration with DHL.

The report states that while a healthier global economy fuels the demand for supply chain real estate, it is not the only driver.

Four other forces are at work, and they are having a transformational effect on companies’ distribution center networks.

They include:

  1. The e-commerce revolution
  2. Globalization and right-shoring
  3. Mergers and acquisitions
  4. Technology innovation

“The face of global supply chain networks is changing,” said Harrington, author of the report.

“Gone are the days of operating a static real estate portfolio and tweaking it every five to seven years. Business is too dynamic and the stakes are too high.

“The fact is, the way companies manage their supply chain real estate portfolios has morphed from a tactical/operational concern to a strategic differentiator. Supply chains that operate more nimbly and at lower cost don’t just save money. They drive growth.”

Read more at New DHL report reviews supply chain real estate

Share your opinions about this article and subscribe us to get updates.

DHL establishes Supply Chain Distribution Centre in Brazil

DHL Supply Chain, the contract logistics specialist within Deutsche Post DHL Group, consolidated the logistics operations of three Sanofi divisions in Brazil by establishing a new distribution centre in Guarulhos, near São Paulo. The project, initiated by Sanofi in 2014, covers all portfolios of Sanofi, Sanofi Pasteur and Medley Brazil. In addition to the operation of the newly installed logistics centre, Sanofi redesigned its distribution networks for the complete Brazilian market and the corresponding export processes. The development of the new site means investments of 200 million Euros between 2015 and 2020. Already today, it is one of the largest distribution centres of Sanofi worldwide and the largest operated by DHL in Brazil for the healthcare sector.

Guarulhos was chosen as the ideal location due to its proximity to Sanofi’s industrial plants, large consumer centres and main logistical hubs of the country such as the Port of Santos. With 36,000 square meters of fully air-conditioned storage area and almost 50,000 pallet positions, DHL’s Distribution Centre has increased Sanofi’s daily shipping capacity significantly, especially with regards to operations of cold chain processes. Thereby ensuring speed, quality and safety for all steps along the supply chain.

“The objective of this project was to simplify and enhance Sanofi’s storage operations and distribution network in Brazil. Consolidating these operations into a single distribution centre has enabled us to foster synergies and streamline the entire process,” says Javier Bilbao, CEO DHL Supply Chain Brazil.

Read more at DHL establishes Supply Chain Distribution Centre in Brazil

Share your comments below and subscribe us to get updates in your inbox.

One step ahead: How data science and supply chain management are driving the predictive enterprise

DHL, the world’s leading logistics company, today launched its latest white paper highlighting the untapped power of data-driven insight for the supply chain. The white paper has revealed that most companies are sitting upon a goldmine of untapped supply chain data that has the ability to give organizations a competitive edge. While this wealth of supply chain data already runs the day-to-day flow of goods around the world, the white paper has revealed a small group of trailblazing companies are utilizing this data as a predictive tool for accurate forecasting.

“The predictive enterprise: Where data science meets supply chain” is a white paper by Lisa Harrington, President of the lharrington group LLC that was commissioned by DHL to identify the opportunities available to companies to anticipate and even predict the future. It encourages companies to get ahead of their business and direct their global operations accordingly.

Data mining, pattern recognition, business analytics, business intelligence and other tools are coalescing into an emerging field of supply chain data science. These new intelligent analytic capabilities are changing supply chains – from reactive operations, to proactive and ultimately predictive operating models. The implications extend far beyond just reinventing the supply chain. They will help map the blueprint for the next-generation global company – the insight-driven enterprise.

Jesse Laver, Vice President, Global Sector Development, Technology, DHL Supply Chain, said, “At DHL, we’re helping our customers get ahead of the competition by working with them to harness the wealth of data information from across their businesses, allowing us to develop smarter supply chain solutions that factor in their wider business operations. For our technology customers, we use data analytics to predict what’s going on in the supply chain, such as what products are in high demand, so we can tailor our solutions accordingly.”

While supply chain analytics technologies and tools have come a long way in the last few years, integrating them into the enterprise is still far from easy. Companies typically progress through several stages of maturity as they adopt these technologies. The descriptive supply chain stage uses information and analytics systems to capture and present data in a way that helps managers understand what is happening.

Read more at One step ahead: How data science and supply chain management are driving the predictive enterprise

Please post your questions or comments below, and subscribe to get updates in your inbox.

How data science and supply chain management are driving the predictive enterprise

DHL, the world’s leading logistics company, today launched its latest white paper highlighting the untapped power of data-driven insight for the supply chain. The white paper has revealed that most companies are sitting upon a goldmine of untapped supply chain data that has the ability to give organizations a competitive edge. While this wealth of supply chain data already runs the day-to-day flow of goods around the world, the white paper has revealed a small group of trailblazing companies are utilizing this data as a predictive tool for accurate forecasting.

“The predictive enterprise: Where data science meets supply chain” is a white paper by Lisa Harrington, President of the lharrington group LLC that was commissioned by DHL to identify the opportunities available to companies to anticipate and even predict the future. It encourages companies to get ahead of their business and direct their global operations accordingly.

Data mining, pattern recognition, business analytics, business intelligence and other tools are coalescing into an emerging field of supply chain data science. These new intelligent analytic capabilities are changing supply chains – from reactive operations, to proactive and ultimately predictive operating models. The implications extend far beyond just reinventing the supply chain. They will help map the blueprint for the next-generation global company – the insight-driven enterprise.

Jesse Laver, Vice President, Global Sector Development, Technology, DHL Supply Chain, said, “At DHL, we’re helping our customers get ahead of the competition by working with them to harness the wealth of data information from across their businesses, allowing us to develop smarter supply chain solutions that factor in their wider business operations. For our technology customers, we use data analytics to predict what’s going on in the supply chain, such as what products are in high demand, so we can tailor our solutions accordingly.”

Read more at One step ahead: How data science and supply chain management are driving the predictive enterprise

Please share your opinions in the comment box, and subscribe to get updates in your inbox.

Preventing a talent gap in supply chain management

When you hear about skills shortages and talent gaps, the discussion tends to surround STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — professions. However, a new concern also is breaking through.

Supply chain management has become a far more complex and skill-demanding ordeal for businesses in a wealth of industries operating in virtually every location around the globe. This has been driven by the fact that commodities markets, global trade and regional economic conditions have been volatile at best, and show no signs of simplifying or stabilizing anytime soon, meaning that managers of the supply chain have a lot more variables to worry about today than in the past.

Thankfully, it appears as though many businesses, including those operating within the manufacturing sector, are working to nip this problem in the bud by providing their own types of training for supply chain managers to digest. After all, the greatest weapon in the fight against any talent gap is increased investment from the private sector in training and development, and this medicine appears to be more commonly embraced in the modern era.

Automotive excellence
Manufacturing Business Technology magazine recently reported that a new study from DHL revealed automotive giants are likely to face what it calls a “perfect storm” that will wreak havoc on supply chains from around the globe. According to the study, supply chain management professionals, specifically those looking to get a job at an automotive manufacturing firm, already are few and far between, and this problem is expected to become more complex in the near future.

Read more at Preventing a talent gap in supply chain management

How do you deal with the talent gap in supply chain management? Share your thoughts with us in the comment box.