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Reimagining Supply Chain in India to be Ready for the ‘New Normal’

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CIOL Bureau
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With the prevailing situation of COVID-19, meeting the needs of the on-demand economy has never been more challenging for retailers. The ongoing increase in demand for essential goods, and continued restrictions on many products are creating a disparity between demand and supply.

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While the supply chain in India is used to being prepared for consumption peaks during the festive season from September to December every year, the current situation creates significant challenges. To overcome these challenges, companies will have to rapidly adopt extraordinary measures to ensure timely delivery of essential products to stores and subsequently the customers.

Technology-led supply chain models will need to be agile and flexible to emerge as a key defining factor that reduces the current demand and supply gap in India.

Warehouse staff are key to that flexibility including how they can be quickly onboarded with the tools they will use to be productive. According to IDC, there are about 450 million smartphone users in India and the majority of them are familiar with the Android OS . As such, Android mobile devices can help speed up the training and onboarding of new warehouse workers. With a familiar user interface, these workers can be quickly trained to do their jobs. This gives retailers and logistics companies extra agility to adapt to the ongoing customer needs for essential goods.

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Where can technology play a role here?

To drive more productivity from their processes, warehouse operators are likely to use different technologies such as mobile devices, augmented reality (AR) apps, head-mounted displays and other wearables that can quickly guide them directly to confirmed item locations.

Android-based mobile computers give workers the intelligence needed to speed through tasks accurately – crucial in today’s fast-moving warehousing environment. Devices are typically used 24/7/365 by shift workers in fast-paced warehouses where ‘seconds matter’.

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Mobile devices must have batteries bigger than traditional enterprise-grade mobile computers as they need to run for much longer before a hot swap or recharge is required. Each second of downtime can impact the flow of just-in-time fulfillment operations and reduce the pick rate.

Devices must also be able to facilitate very fast data capture without compromising information accuracy, which is why mobile computers’ scanning capabilities are crucial to improve productivity and efficiency.

However, many mobile computers today cannot read barcodes from long distances. This can quickly become an issue for warehouse workers who scan barcodes from up to 70 feet away and close-up items, while forklift drivers may need to be able to do this from an aisle or bin location from their vehicles.

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Additionally, not all enterprise-grade or ‘rugged’ devices are built to withstand constant or prolonged exposure to cold-chain freezing temperatures. This is where using the right device is key, such as a freezer-friendly model that includes a heated scanner exit window and a freezer-rated battery. However, these aren’t the only types of warehouse environments or applications. For example, a Class 1 Division 2 (C1D2) non-incendive model will be used in hazardous environments.

The use of mobile devices reaches far beyond just scanning, with growing focus on implementing artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR). In India, it is expected that AI-led transformation of the supply chain industry will double its valuation in the next two years.

Currently, 30 to 40 percent of Indian businesses are leveraging AI-enabled tech solutions in their supply chain activities while others still use traditional, linear models. These technologies as of now are relegated to smaller use-cases, most widely used on mobile computers and tablets.

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Just like how driverless cars and aerial delivery drones are the cutting-edge technology of the world, smart glasses would be the equivalent in the world of warehouses. By using smart glasses, workers can enjoy a hands-free experience while navigating warehouses, and managing stock levels.

With their hands free, they can then physically pick and collect the items that they need. Once the products are picked, sorted and packed at the warehouse, the next challenge is to facilitate customer delivery or collection. Increasingly, we see click and collect as a preferred fulfilment method for shoppers.

Mobile technologies that enable drive up and mobile pick up are critical in ensuring that customers can get the things they want and limit their personal contact at the same time. By deploying the right solutions at the edge of the enterprise, warehouse workers can increase their efficiency and improve operational workflows during these current times of unprecedented challenges.

Aik Jin, Tan, Vertical Solutions Lead, Zebra Technologies Asia Pacific