Access has launched two important new white papers looking into how converging trends are shaping the future of logistics and strategic supply chain developments.
âStep into the future of logisticsâ examines how current trends are changing logistics. E-commerce has significant implications for warehouse and fulfilment systems. Social media has undermined demand, and therefore production, forecasting and dramatically shortened product life cycles. Competition is now based on service levels, and in particular the speed and accuracy of execution of fulfilment.
This is driving change in warehouse location, space requirements for new activities and technology. For warehouse systems, the new environment has suddenly become much more complex.
The second white paper: âStep into the future of supply chainâ, takes in the implications of trends such as near sourcing manufacturing, Corporate Social Responsibility, the âInternet of Thingsâ and a move to value delivery systems with organisations using social media to better manage forecasting, inventory and service as well as provide greater supply chain transparency.
Ian Roper, Director of Access, said: âSupply chains will need all the flexibility and adaptability they can muster to cope with emerging trends, with implications both for physical operations and the systems that support them.â
He added: âFuture warehouse systems will be an autonomous part of a much wider supply chain âmeta-systemâ. Through seamless integration with these systems, a warehousing system will âknowâ everything. While we canât know the future of innovation, it is good practice to make logistics as device independent as possible.â