{"id":120035,"date":"2020-10-29T19:30:30","date_gmt":"2020-10-29T19:30:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.microsoft.com\/?p=439772"},"modified":"2020-10-29T19:30:30","modified_gmt":"2020-10-29T19:30:30","slug":"dhl-shelving-out-of-stock-thanks-to-smart-supply-chains-built-in-the-cloud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2020\/10\/29\/dhl-shelving-out-of-stock-thanks-to-smart-supply-chains-built-in-the-cloud\/","title":{"rendered":"DHL shelving \u2018out of stock,\u2019 thanks to smart supply chains built in the cloud"},"content":{"rendered":"

Venter\u2019s vision is to leverage DHL\u2019s unique position to optimize customers\u2019 supply chains, making them more resilient and, at the same time, more agile and flexible.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe importance of access to real-time information was evident pre-crisis, but the pandemic exposed an even greater need for end-to-end visibility across the supply chain to enable fast response. A solid IT infrastructure and powerful tools to predict and analyze terabytes of data in real time is helping us make supply chains smarter,\u201d says Venter.<\/p>\n

The company\u2019s ability to support its customers through this challenging period was because DHL Supply Chain invested significantly over the past few years in digital transformation, working in partnership with Microsoft and Blue Yonder on the strategic deployment of automation and digital solutions.<\/p>\n

A safe working environment, high transparency and visibility along the whole supply chain, as well as a sophisticated technology infrastructure are what Venter believes sets DHL apart from its competitors. \u201cSmart supply chains, fueled by data help us unlock higher service levels, optimize costs and enable predictive modelling \u2013 as well as faster response times. This is what it is all about,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Examples of such optimization include routing in DHL\u2019s sizeable warehouses to pick and pack goods faster and more effectively, or the \u201cmore intelligent\u201d allocation and the structured processing of millions of orders each day.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not just about coping with the expected, it\u2019s about anticipating demand.<\/p>\n

Data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) are essential technology investments for DHL, as it goes beyond \u201cjust putting a bunch of robots in a warehouse,\u201d as Venter explains. \u201cIt\u2019s about really making supply chains intelligent and smart.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A
A forklift driver, one of DHL\u2019s \u201ceveryday heroes,\u201d at a warehouse in Beringe, the Netherlands.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The company\u2019s worldwide scale and access to information across regions helped it earlier on in the pandemic: \u201cOur global footprint gave us early supply warning signals from Asia, which meant we could take quick action in Europe\u201d.<\/p>\n

Predictive modelling is enabling the company to better manage demand and anticipate potential disruption to keep customers\u2019 businesses moving, and crucially, keep them competitive.<\/p>\n

Are we ready for the next challenge? Venter considers the next big challenge for international supply chains will be the global distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine, which some experts have described as the supply chain challenge of the century.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis may sound superlative, but I can\u2019t recall having seen any operation of that scale,\u201d he says. \u201cWe are preparing for that, and we stand by to execute as soon as we will be assigned to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n

As DHL prepares for this, Venter highlights the importance of collaboration to leverage digitalization successfully and scale globally, \u201cdata is a sensitive topic and its fundamental to build your digital capabilities through a secure platform, with a partner you can trust. It\u2019s business critical,\u201d Venter says.<\/p>\n

\u201dSmart supply chains will not only save businesses and keep industries afloat \u2013 but in the truest sense of the word, smart supply chains will save lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Top photo: A DHL employee uses \u201cvision picking,\u201d a form of augmented reality, at a DHL warehouse in Beringe, the Netherlands. (Photos courtesy of DHL)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Venter\u2019s vision is to leverage DHL\u2019s unique position to optimize customers\u2019 supply chains, making them more resilient and, at the same time, more agile and flexible. \u201cThe importance of access to real-time information was evident pre-crisis, but the pandemic exposed an even greater need for end-to-end visibility across the supply chain to enable fast response. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":120036,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[182,298],"class_list":["post-120035","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-microsoft-news","tag-cloud-computing","tag-transform"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120035","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120035"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120035\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/120036"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120035"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120035"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120035"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}