The future of logistics technology

The progress of the production of human products can be divided into three waves or significant changes. The first wave was agrarian, marked by the abandonment of hunting and the “scoop the ground” with the development of agriculture. This period lasted for about 4,000 years. The storage at this time was critical for the distribution of agricultural products, since barns and other deposits have enabled people to protect themselves from hunger. Accomplished this by maintaining a food warehouse that was used in times of food shortage. The second wave, commonly called the Industrial Revolution, lasted less than 400 years. People came from farms to cities to work in factories. Logistics systems were developed to address the movement of raw materials from the source to the plant and the movement of manufactured products to the customer. The third wave is the information age, in which we have just entered. This phase is based on computer and communications between computers, characterized by eight major changes:

1. Shorter life of the product;
2. Largest range of products;
3. Biggest competition;
4. Higher cost of hand labor;
5. Biggest concern for the health and safety;
6. Increased use of computers;
7. Systems faster shipping;
8. Smaller stocks.

Storage practices should be adjusted to meet the third wave. The thought of the third wave is characterized by independence from suppliers and customers. The warehouse is often the “stock lung” between them, which means he needs to adapt to such changes. The challenge of improving customer satisfaction through improved logistics requires a fully integrated approach. In many companies today, the role of logistics is done in a separate manner. The sales manager, warehouse manager, traffic manager, the manager claims processing, claims manager, etc.., Operate independently. All components of the logistics process must work as one, with each person involved in having a much greater awareness, as all logistics functions. The only way to improve customer satisfaction is to seek the integration of logistics. Because the third wave is still new, it is difficult to describe how it will influence storage in the future. It is increasingly obvious, however, that the traditional role of storage in the information age is changing rapidly. The practice of logistics has changed during the 1980s, more than in all the decades since the Industrial Revolution, which began hundreds of years ago. Storage is a key factor in this change. Part of the change was an increase in awareness of logistics as a critical business activity. Managers, who did not even know what it meant logistics in the 1980s, were already deeply interested in it at the end of the decade.

1 – Cost control

To be competitive in the long term, we need to reduce operating costs at the same time increase the quality.

2 – Intelligent Storage

The concept of operating with low inventories, with a “just-in-time” mentality means that you should turn your concept of storage of a restricted activity “guard” for a role of “stage”.

3. Reducing cycle times

The customer service is key to the current success and to improve the service you need to reduce your operating cycle time, to meet the needs of increasingly demanding customers.

4. Reduction of space

To be an efficient producer of world class, you need to get the most from their current facilities. This includes making optimal use of the volume space of the building, while maintaining the flexibility of operations.

5. Productive Separation

Considering the importance of customer service, the accurate and timely separation of items and assembly applications are crucial. The productive separation means high accuracy and high speed.

6. Monitor the pace of change

Customer requirements, product life cycle, available technology, and virtually every facet of your business are subject to the high pace of change. The challenge is to design their operations to meet future changes, while satisfying the current standards of productivity and quality.

7. Speaking with data

There is currently a shortage of data. However, the secret is to provide a flow of accurate information in real time that is parallel to and control the flow of materials through the plant or warehouse. Such data can be used in factory-floor or integrated into the global information systems of the company.

8. Making work safer

Improve safety has long been a goal of the industry. However, nowadays, the ergonomic needs to be integrated to this goal, making certain capacities of the operators are combined with work tasks, in order to avoid accumulated long-term problems.

9. Recycle, reuse, return

To be compatible with environmental requirements, we need to rethink our traditional operational concepts and thinking in terms of recycling and reuse many of the resources we depend on to produce and distribute products. Appropriate packaging and handling practices can help address this challenge.

10. Projects Sell

Even after facing other challenges, you still have to justify your project to management. In many cases, you may need to put a lot of benefits, so-called “unattainable” in order to meet the criteria of return on investment (ROI).

Source: http://www.guialog.com.br/

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