Day: 17 April 2020

Now that more and more countries are declaring national emergencies and shutting down businesses for lockdown, it’s become more important than ever to diversify your supply chain and mitigate the risk caused by disruption. So says Open Packaging Network CEO Sergei Ciachir.

Founded in 2018, the OPN Platform is a data-driven B2B online marketplace for the packaging industry.

According to research conducted by McKinsey and Company, trucking capacity to ship goods from factories to ports has decreased by 80% and product shipments from ports are facing huge delays. For packaging businesses unable to fulfill orders, finding alternative suppliers and vendors is crucial to survival.

A digital marketplace allows businesses to reach out to alternative connections to close the gap in their supply chains caused by disruption. By expanding networks in this way, businesses can also take advantage of new routes and channels in order to keep running.

The cloud-based OPN Platform has already facilitated over 10 000 deals across the globe and was included in the World Business Angels Investment Forum’s list of Top 100 most promising startups for industrial transformation.

“Our platform is the largest independent marketplace that uses emerging technologies to create an open ecosystem for various stakeholders to interact with each other seamlessly. The AI-driven digital platform connects buyers and sellers from across the global packaging industry quickly and conveniently. They transact directly on the online platform,” explains Sergei.

It’s not business as usual for the packaging industry. Adapting your operations to meet change and taking advantage of technology has become a crucial part of a successful survival strategy.

GEODIS and DELTA DRONE have launched a warehouse-inventory solution. GEODIS Countbot is a stabilized automated system that includes a drone and is able to do inventory and inventory control. Inventory can be done in real time, without human intervention other than a supervising operator and without any special equipment.

“GEODIS Countbot” is the result of over three years of R&D and testing to create a reliable automated inventory service that does not require any additional stationary equipment inside the warehouse and is totally safe, protecting both people and property. Built by both DELTA DRONE, specialized in civilian drones for professional use, and GEODIS, international leader in transport and logistics, this new service revolutionizes warehouse inventory: “Inventory is a time-consuming activity and can be risky for humans, requiring operations to be shut down and the rental of personnel lifts. With “GEODIS Countbot,” inventory can now be carried out quickly, automatically and safely,” explains Romain Cauvet, global Engineering director, Supply Chain optimization, GEODIS. In terms of performance, the first assignments performed in real time, in a 10 000 m2 warehouse, allow us to estimate inventory time at under three hours instead of the one to two days it used to take.

The solution combines a robot, a telescopic mast that can reach up to 10 metres and a drone that ensures the stability and therefore the quality of the images collected. It has been the subject of several patent applications. 16 high-resolution cameras are positioned along the mast. The unit moves automatically through the aisles, following trajectories entered beforehand in the robot’s memory thanks to an initial full mapping of the site. As it moves, the cameras photograph the pallet barcodes end detect anomalies, if any. All the data are then reported to the WMS (Warehouse Management System).

From an operational and commercial standpoint, the partners plan to deploy the solution progressively to many warehouses throughout the world, whether or not they are GEODIS warehouses. In Europe, sales of the systems will benefit from the support and existing network of Ott Ventures, Delta Drone’s new reference shareholder, representing close to five million square meters in warehouse space and industrial sites located in various countries, in particular, the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands and Russia.

Rhenus Logistics has acquired Irish chemical logistics specialist C+G Logistics.

Headquartered in Mulhuddart, Dublin, the chemical storage and transportation specialist has more than 40 years’ experience in handling raw materials, ingredients and chemicals. The C+G facility also provides full Seveso capabilities with 5,000 square metres of dedicated hazardous goods storage.

The addition of C+G Logistics coupled with the recent rebrand of Avant Air & Sea (acquired by Rhenus in October 2018) to Rhenus Air & Ocean “illustrates the company’s ability to embrace the continued growth and demand increase across Ireland’s logistics sector,” it said.

C+G has built a strong reputation on its ‘customer-centric’ approach.