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Tag: IT

Setlog cooperates with CSR consultancy

Posted on by David Priestman

Software specialist Setlog is now cooperating with Berlin-based human rights & responsible business Loening. The international consultancy, founded in 2014, offers companies practical and strategic assistance around the subjects of compliance with human rights and sustainability.

Setlog’s OSCA CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) IT solution has been expanded to include a standardised questionnaire from Loening for self-disclosure by suppliers. Users of the software can also access Loening’s consulting services regarding policies, operational responsibilities and the introduction of a risk management system.

“Markus Loening, founder of Loening consultancy and the former Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy, is an experienced professional on the subject,” emphasises Setlog board member Ralf Duester. “The combination of the established Setlog solution OSCA CSR for mapping and controlling all supply chain partners with the in-depth expertise of the Loening team enables even companies with little knowledge in the area of CSR to meet the requirements of upcoming due diligence laws and related obligations. This makes it easier to get started, especially for mid-sized companies that have to deal with a lot of administrative work when it comes to CSR with small teams.”

There is a great need for companies to take action regarding CSR. Studies show in fact that only one-fifth of German companies with more than 500 employees complies with their due diligence obligations in terms of respecting human rights. The German Due Diligence Act will apply to companies with more than 3,000 employees from 2023, while companies with more than 1,000 employees will be liable as of 2024. Likewise, the EU is planning a law that will take effect for companies with 500 or more employees – in high-risk sectors (such as textiles or food) even for those with 250 or more employees.

“Even if there is first and foremost an urgent need for action in larger companies, smaller businesses should not postpone the issue. They are under pressure not only from the legislator, but also from their large customers, who have already imposed or will impose these requirements in their supplier contracts,” says expert Markus Loening.

Companies should not underestimate the time required for this type of project. “The introduction of the software itself is quick. But setting up the right process doesn’t happen in a month,” adds Loening. Those who start now, however, can still meet the basic requirements by the end of this year. In addition to the introduction of supplier questionnaires, the definition of processes and reporting structures are among the most important tasks.

The crucial aspect is a powerful IT infrastructure. With the help of the Setlog solution, companies in all industries are able to meet both legal and customer-specific requirements along their supply chain – digitally, efficiently, and future-proof. They can simultaneously create individual specifications for auditing and evaluating suppliers, define their own onboarding processes, and communicate their code of conduct and other guidelines along the supply chain. Additionally, they can request and control audits of factories according to a wide range of standards and manage resulting corrective actions.

 

Sponsored content: Brady gives every asset a unique digital identity

Posted on by David Priestman

With Brady Corporation‘s complete RFID solution, assets in any industrial environment can be given unique digital identities just by applying a label. Users will be able to identify and locate labelled assets all at once, from a distance, in real time, without needing line of sight.

Your Needs. Your Solution.

To make RFID-driven efficiency possible in any unique workplace, Brady leverages its global manufacturing capabilities and services to customise each of the components in its complete RFID solution. Label read range can be adapted, as well as all other label properties that enable labels to stay attached to any user’s asset selection in a wide range of industrial environments. Sensors can be embedded to capture environmental data including temperature or moisture levels. Scanners can be equipped with custom programmed apps that processes data to unlock the benefits a specific business needs, and Brady can integrate the entire solution with existing ICT infrastructure.

CLICK HERE to discover Brady’s RFID complete solution

A major leap in workplace efficiency

Well implemented, quality RFID solutions enable a major leap in operational efficiency for many industries. With a handheld RFID scanner, multiple assets can be located, identified, tracked and traced from a 15m distance without needing line of sight. Fixed RFID scanners can even cover the entire workplace to considerably accelerate asset tracking. As a result, employees can quickly find any labelled asset they need, inventories can be automated, and outgoing cargo can be checked for completeness in seconds.

Business at your fingertips

Automatically collected data on all labelled assets can help inform strategic decision-making on capital asset numbers, their locations, preventive maintenance and environmental elements. Decisions on stock levels can be supported by the latest data, all generated and collected automatically, to further drive business efficiency and profitability, all by giving assets a unique digital identity.

CLICK HERE to download the free RFID Guide

 

 

 

 

FourKites awarded ISO 27001 certification

Posted on by David Priestman

FourKites, a leading real-time supply chain visibility platform, has met the standards set by the International Standards Organization (ISO) for ISO 27017 for cloud service security and ISO 27018 for data privacy as part of its ISO 27001 certification. The achievement represents FourKites’ ongoing pursuit of the most recent and stringent security standards in the industry.

To qualify, an independent audit committee confirmed that FourKites meets a stringent set of requirements around security and privacy. ISO 27017 provides guidelines for information security controls applicable to and specific to the provisioning and use of cloud services, while ISO 27018 establishes commonly accepted controls and guidelines for implementing measures to protect personally identifiable information (PII) for the public cloud computing environment. Meanwhile, ISO 27001 mandates controls for the establishment, maintenance and certification of an information security management system (ISMS).

“Meeting these standards is a testament to FourKites’ ongoing commitment to go above and beyond when it comes to securing our platform, which ingests more than 250 terabytes of data each month,” said Mathew Elenjickal, FourKites Founder and CEO. “Safe and secure data sharing has tremendous benefits across the supply chain, including more accurate business planning and risk mitigation, higher customer satisfaction and retention, and improved employee morale.”

Adherence to ISO 27017 and 27018 is the latest validation of FourKites’ rigorous security efforts, including its comprehensive General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) privacy program, which even applies in regions where it is not required and incorporates the Schrems II ruling.

“Our supply chain customers and partners around the globe can rest assured that FourKites uses the strongest and most secure standards in the industry to protect their valuable data,” added Elenjickal.

FourKites delivers real-time insights to customers around the globe, leveraging patented artificial intelligence based on 150 factors, including ​​weather, traffic and real-time data from GPS, ELD telematics networks, mobile devices, AIS and more. The company offers out-of-the-box dashboards and reports, automated and customisable notifications that leverage geofencing and temperature tracking, and SKU-level visibility to track multimodal shipments, even when they’re split across multiple carriers.

In Spring 2021, FourKites was awarded a patent for its groundbreaking Smart Forecasted Arrival (SFA) solution, which provides companies with highly frequent and accurate estimated times of arrival for over-the-road freight in transit — even when a truck lacks any technology to transmit location data. SFA is now available to FourKites customers globally, extending the benefits of real-time visibility to freight that would otherwise be invisible to modern supply chain management solutions.

Logistics Technology firm DoDo Raises €60m

Posted on by David Priestman

Czech firm DoDo Group, specialists in last-mile B2B logistics technology, has attracted €60m in Series B funding led by EC Investments and J&T Capital. The funds will be used to further develop DoDo’s data-driven logistics platform and drive the group’s expansion into Western and Southern Europe.

The funds represent the firm’s largest investment to date, following a year which saw it nearly double its annual revenue to almost €40m. DoDo’s network of over 2,000 couriers in seven countries combined to deliver over four million shipments in 2021, and it is looking to repeat last year’s growth by doubling turnover once again to over €80m in 2022.

With Covid-19 accelerating the shift to ecommerce, and supply chains increasingly strained, demand for efficient logistics technology is strong. In particular, consumer demand for next and even same-day delivery is driving the need for data-driven urban logistics that can optimise delivery. As leaders in this field, DoDo Group says it will use the investment to further develop its GAIA platform – using real-time data and predictive analytics to maximise efficiency and sustainability. DoDo Group will also use the new funds to achieve its ambition of maintaining its position as a top-three last-mile logistics operator in Europe.

The investment was co-led by Czech businessman Daniel Křetínský’s EC Investments, who is well-known in the UK for his major ownership stakes in West Ham United and The Royal Mail. He was joined by Patrik Tkáč, founder of J&T Capital Partners and co-owner of EP Global Commerce alongside Mr Křetínský. Their investment sees them increase their minority stakes, providing the capital and expertise to accelerate DoDo’s growth. Rockaway Capital also participated in the round.

London-based Royal Park Partners, the specialist fintech corporate advisory firm, acted as exclusive strategic and financial advisors throughout the fundraising process. Royal Park Partners are EMEA’s most active fintech advisors, raising over $1bn for clients in 2021.

Michal Menšík, CEO of DoDo Group, said: “DoDo has grown from a start-up into a champion of its field and we make no secret of our ambition to continue to join Europe’s premier business league. We have a great service that has stood up to even the biggest and most demanding multinational retail chains at home and abroad. Now is the time to leverage our technological edge and operational capabilities and start changing the established standards of last mile delivery in other European markets. I believe we have found the best possible partners for our ambitious goals, who have extensive experience in building a pan-European business.”

Branislav Miškovič of EC Investments said: “The investment in DoDo is attractive to us in a number of ways, the main one being that the company combines last-mile logistics with retail in an interesting and innovative way, areas in which we are investing significantly within the wider EP Corporate Group. Thanks to the know-how of the DoDo team and the breadth of our portfolio, I am confident that we will be able to collaborate on further exciting joint projects in the future.”

 

How big and bulky retailers can improve the final mile

Posted on by David Priestman

The retail of big and bulky goods is often fraught with logistical issues and delays, writes Danny Hudson, Director of Retail & CPG at FarEye. The last mile stage of delivery is often the most difficult and expensive part of the process and can lead to frustrations for both suppliers and customers.

While this stage is considered to be the most problematic by carriers, technological innovation has progressed to offer solutions. Smart technology is taking the logistics industry by storm and specially developed software now offers full traceability and visibility across the last mile. Functionality such as automated item tracking mean that all stakeholders can gain the visibility they need during the last mile. But one aspect that visibility This, among other things, can ensure that bulky and bulky items are delivered in line with ever-heightening consumer expectations.

The rise and rise of customer experience

The delivery of large and unwieldy items is often frustrating for customers. They place an order and expect the same level of service they receive with a smaller parcel. While we know that larger items may take longer to arrive, we have become impatient with these longer timeframes.

Consumers are now used to next-day, if not same-day, delivery. So waiting for weeks or even months for an order can not only be frustrating, but can significantly influence their decision on which retailer to shop with.

Stakeholders across the supply chain are trying to meet these needs by providing faster delivery when it comes to larger items. Creating or using tools that allow for quick, efficient, and on-time delivery can make this process much simpler. It also allows retailers to gain visibility of and easily connect with any third parties that are required during the last mile process.

As a customer, most will need to work from home, or take time off, thus why use of technology is so important. Softwares which can trace parcels and communicate directly with the customer is essential for success in this case. It reduces administrative work, as it is updated in real time, and customers have a clear understanding of when their package will be arriving.

Order Delays, ETAs & Visibility

Order delays are another potential hindrance to customer experience in big and bulky goods delivery. Having an accurate timeframe for delivery can prove difficult due to a range of factors including traffic delays, fleet availability, and driver availability, not to mention that most companies often outsource this process.

All these factors lead to reduced traceability, visibility, and transparency. Overall, this process comes with a lack of overview for customers. ETAs aren’t updated in real time, resulting in confusion overall. Windows for these can often be very non-specific with delays not updated. Use of tools such as AI, or even our driver app, can help mitigate these effects. These tools work in tandem to update the customer in real time as to where their package is, meaning no upset customers and no stressed drivers.

Facilitation of this process through use of automation, ML, or AI can make the whole process, from first mile to last, much easier. These technologies can be used on both big and small packages. Things like IoT, RFID, and blockchain tracking can all be implemented for general admin. These same things can also be used to provide stakeholders with live updates. These items can also easily be traced, so if anything does happen these items can be easily found. Importantly, all these systems should be able to talk to one another. Integration throughout the whole process, from warehouse to driver to customer, makes communication much easier.

Tools of the Trade: Resources and Cost reduction

The hardest part of the big and bulky delivery process is the last mile. It’s often the most expensive and time consuming. A special fleet and team is needed, and particular equipment along with packaging. It is also important to mention that these deliveries require additional safety protocols, meaning they can be more time consuming. Finding processes which make this more seamless can make all the difference in preventing delays, which in turn results in happier customers. It also allows for time sensitivity during last mile delivery, and an overall better experience.

As well as using third-party suppliers to deliver big and bulky goods, retailers or consumers may also need their services to install items such as large TVs, home gym equipment and kitchen appliances. All of which will add further delays and require consumers to put time aside to be at home to accept delivery. Oftentimes, these costs either need to be paid by the supplier or the customer, which results in higher costs for all involved. By using integrated technology, these processes can be streamlined and automatically shared with the customer, resulting in more transparency during the delivery process. This also allows for a more sustainable approach to last mile delivery, as it makes the whole experience more efficient for all stakeholders.

While big and bulky parcels have a reputation, there are easy tools to mitigate the normal hassles which come during delivery. Customer experience is integral to keeping these businesses afloat, and to keep these customers coming back. While delays may be inevitable, by using processes or tools to keep things visible and transparent to all stakeholders, companies can achieve good results.

 

One Stop benefits from machine learning

Posted on by David Priestman

One Stop, the UK convenience retailer with over 900 company and franchise neighbourhood stores nationwide, has benefited from more accurate stock forecast and higher availability, without increased spoilage, thanks to its implementation of RELEX Solutions’ machine learning-based demand forecasting solution to effectively manage supply chain complexities across its entire product range.

One Stop has been a customer of Helsinki, Finland-based RELEX Solutions since 2010. In March 2019, the retailer expanded its partnership with RELEX when it implemented the RELEX supply chain planning and management solution in its UK stores and distribution centres.

The RELEX solution delivered a range of positive results for One Stop – including a 1.9% increase in in-store availability, a 4% reduction in fresh spoilage value, and an overall increase in sales. Based on these results, One Stop added the RELEX machine learning-based demand forecasting solution to manage its more specific forecasting challenges.

The RELEX demand forecasting solution uses machine learning to manage One Stop’s broad selection of product offerings – ranging from ultra-fresh products with short spoiling times to more ambient inventory with longer shelf life. It also assesses the demand for products that are sensitive to external factors such as weather. In addition, the solution identifies sales for products that are easily cannibalised by promotions on similar items.

Richard Turton, Head of Supply Chain at One Stop, said: “RELEX’s machine learning-based forecasting is critical to our ability to accurately forecast our most challenging categories, whether short shelf-life items or those with weather-driven demand.”

In the four months since going live with the RELEX forecasting solution, One Stop has seen major improvements including:

  • 3.17% increase in forecast accuracy at a product-week level
  • 1.82% increase in forecast accuracy at a product-store-week level
  • 1.5% in in-store availability across One Stop’s entire range, which contributed to a significant sales increase
  • 8.5% increased availability for ultra-fresh products with shelf life under three days with no corresponding rise in spoilage

“You simply can’t overstate the value that AI-based forecasting brings to the retail environment. RELEX’s machine learning drove an immediate improvement to forecast accuracy that we felt throughout the supply chain and store and DC operations,” concluded Turton.

New research reveals trend towards greater automation

Posted on by David Priestman

Ivanti Wavelink, the supply chain business unit of Ivanti, has announced the results of a joint survey with VDC Research regarding the state of industrial supply chain operations and the adoption of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions.

The research revealed that there is an overarching trend toward greater automation, connectivity, and intelligence in industrial supply chain operations. For industrial organisations, IIoT platforms offer significant promise to unlock new business models, deliver improved customer experiences, address the disruptive impact of downtime, and ultimately provide greater operational resilience.

“Today’s warehouses are more complex than they were 10 years ago,” says David Krebs, EVP, VDC Research. “Products and channels have proliferated, late-stage customisation requirements have increased, the number of temperature environments has grown, and warehouse employee turnover has remained high with access to labour at an all-time low.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified these challenges and as a result, manufacturers and distributors are urgently seeking new ways to optimise services and react to future market changes faster and more efficiently. IIoT can help organisations automate processes, improve performance, and reduce inefficiencies, leading to higher revenues and lower costs.”

The good news is that IIoT deployment is becoming easier. The leading factors driving IIoT investments are improvements to production output (27%), improvements to asset monitoring and maintenance (14%), reductions to operational expenses (14%) and improvements to operational intelligence (13%). These efforts can be summarised around key productivity, sustainability, business agility and speed to market efforts and initiatives.

Organisations are also taking advantage of key technology trends that have significantly lowered the adoption barrier of IIoT solutions. These trends include improvements to IIoT platform functionality and ease of use, simplified development of IIoT applications through access to APIs and established communications protocols, lowered costs of sensors and data storage and the development of edge computing that shift computation from the cloud to the shop floor.

However, while many industrial organisations are underway with IIoT pilots, challenges still exist with few organisations fully scaling up their IIoT-enabled solutions. Various technical and organisational factors are typically at the root of these issues. Technical headwinds range from dealing with heterogeneous systems, determining which functions are supported by which applications, how the systems should be deployed, and how these solutions manage security requirements.

Organisationally, IT vs. OT governance is an oft-cited source of conflict as is the challenge of failing to adjust business processes to encourage broader application and failing to fully realise the solution’s value.

“The bottom line is that industrial supply chain operations overall are moving forward on the IIoT technology maturity curve,” said Brandon Black, senior vice president and general manager, Ivanti Wavelink. “This is great news as IIoT transforms business operations by delivering optimal business outcomes, focused worker experiences, reduced costs and increased revenue. Maximising IIoT’s value requires the commitment of leadership to ensure that IIoT is not just an IT initiative, but an organisation-wide effort.

“At Ivanti Wavelink, we look forward to continuing to support our customers as they accelerate digital transformation initiatives and revolutionise supply chain operations with IIoT.”

Ivanti Neurons for IIoT connects machines, devices, workers, and systems, maximising productivity, deepening insights, and improving visibility. It enables customers to get a 360° view of their IIoT equipment, facilitating simpler, faster decision-making with real-time data and deep analytics, as well as driving operational efficiency. Additionally, Ivanti Neurons for IIoT offers customers the ability to create low-code and no-code applications to automate existing supply chain processes and maximise the value of their existing supply chain assets.

The solution’s simplified use of information collected provides greater efficiency in operational decision-making and allows customers to cross-connect applications with new systems – rapidly automating warehouse processes and optimising workflow operations.

Research Methodology: VDC fielded a global survey among operations technology decision makers spanning multiple industries including retail, manufacturing, transportation/logistics, aerospace & defence, utilities and mining, oil & gas organisations. The survey was fielded during Q3/Q4 2021 and included 205 qualified respondents.

 

CLICK HERE to download a copy of the report

 

 

Lithuanian startup GoRamp attracts investment to expand

Posted on by David Priestman

 

GoRamp has attracted an investment of €1.5m from international venture capital funds and the community of business angels/founders from companies including UPS, Shopify, Infoscout. The investment will be used mainly to expand its sales and marketing team for the Western Europe and US markets.

GoRamp, which has been actively operating for three years in the market, has a SaaS solution, which enables manufacturing, retail and production companies digitise their logistics operations through sourcing, planning and monitoring transportation shipments. According to the data provided by GoRamp clients, the system eliminates 70% of operational work, increases 20% of warehouse loading efficiency and decreases logistics costs by up to 25%.

Its CEO/CoFounder Jevgenij Polonis says that the quarantine reality has prompted the scale of the business to Western European markets. “Transportation volumes of production and trade companies have grown drastically during the lockdown and the resources required to meet customer needs had shrunk and continue to shrink. Carrier costs are rising, and warehousing capacities are being exceeded.

“We hear continuously that manufacturing and trading companies experience a never-ending Christmas rush. When capacity expansion is no longer possible, then operations have to be streamlined and more has to be done with the same resources. Digital solutions are irreplaceable and our solution helps customers eliminate more than two-thirds of operational manual labour, save time, streamline supply chain operations and do up to twice as much work with the available resources.

“We see that the demand for our product in the is growing because of more attention to sustainability and digitalisation of manufacturing companies. That’s why timing for aggressive expansion being first-movers is more than perfect.”

In 2021, GoRamp’s business volumes tripled. Now the Lithuanian company operates in 18 different countries not only in Europe, but also US, Canada and Australia. The number of GoRamp customers grew by 250% and the company is already trusted by leading worldwide names including Pfizer, Thermofisher Scientific, Continental, Mondelez, Storenso, and others.

Among GoRamp customers, there are businesses operating in the sectors of manufacturing, pharmaceutical, automotive, wood, furniture, metal, energy, and plastics.

The investment will be targeted to increase business volumes in Europe , where product sales are already showing promising results (the UK, Benelux, Poland, Germany) and to enter new markets (France, Spain, Italy) and gain more traction in US region.

 

New functionality for SnapFulfil WMS

Posted on by David Priestman

WMS technology innovator, Synergy Logistics, has further enhanced its multiple billing software that already offers the highest levels of detail, accuracy and clarity via its SnapFulfil WMS cloud-based solution.

With 3PL services needing to flex their model to meet ever-changing D2C e-commerce demands, adaptability is key – particularly when it comes to invoicing – to drive greater economies of scale.  SnapFulfil’s new pro-forma invoicing means one is generated automatically for any business where the billing period is greater than daily.

The pro-forma invoice is overwritten each time the invoice process runs but if a client has a replica database the invoice data can be extracted before being overwritten. This is especially useful for clients who want to track their invoice totals before period end.

Likewise, new minimum fee charge capability means a designated amount can be set, but if the total charges for a period are less than the minimum fee then the balance will automatically be charged.

Synergy Logistics CEO, Tony Dobson (pictured), says: “A growing numbers of 3PLs are seeking a more scalable, API-friendly and robust pathway to meet the dynamic challenges of B2C and D2C multichannel fulfilment. But identifying the right solution is just half of the challenge – delivering it while continuing to satisfy existing customer requirements (without incurring custom coding costs and delays for new clients) is a different matter.

“We bring a base feature set tailored to the requirements faced by 3PLs. Our software is highly configurable and, after training, can be managed by in-house teams to support everything from new customer onboarding to process changes. We’ve standardised our interfaces as well to support simplified integration processes and shorten implementation timelines. We also come to the table with a library of existing applications to help ease technical sales processes.”

With margins ever-tightening, SnapFulfil has the functionality to set and charge different rates based on quantities shipped, split and smaller pallets. The software also facilitates better data quality, resources allocation and process flow, while automating manual tasks gives greater efficiency, accuracy and transparency.

Additionally, multi owner self-configuration addresses complex order fulfilment challenges and enables 3PLs to drive rapid growth and value. Having access to the SnapFulfil rules engine is a real differentiator and is proven to give 3PLs tangible competitive advantage.

A much more extensive customer portal also includes access to large areas of the main SnapFulfil site, but specifically filtered for the 3PL customer, so they only see their real-time data. This enhanced functionality brings greater visibility, increased flexibility and a more granular approach and all its associated efficiencies.

Descartes acquires machine-learning provider

Posted on by David Priestman

Descartes Systems Group, a global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, has acquired Foxtrot, a leading provider of machine learning-based mobile route execution solutions.

Foxtrot’s advanced machine learning algorithms leverage millions of data points collected from vehicles in the field, helping customers reduce last-mile costs, improve customer service and learn service factors that improve route efficiency and on-time performance. The company’s technology complements existing route planning and execution solutions.

“Descartes has been a leader in using advanced technology to extend its world-class route planning and execution solutions for more than 20 years,” said Ken Wood, EVP of Product Management at Descartes. “Advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning are making it possible for us to leverage increasing amounts of ‘real world data’ to better inform our route planning and execution solutions. By combining with Foxtrot, we’re adding a team with deep domain expertise and proven technology that will help accelerate our efforts in this area.”

“Foxtrot enhances our recent investment in GreenMile, as both companies have extensive experience in the retail food and beverage distribution vertical,” said Edward J Ryan, Descartes’ CEO. “We also see an immediate opportunity to leverage Foxtrot’s capabilities across our wider route planning and execution solution suite. We’re thrilled to welcome the Foxtrot employees, customers and partners into the Descartes family.”

Foxtrot is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Descartes acquired Foxtrot for approximately $US4m, satisfied from cash on hand.

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