Several different metrics measure commerce to be the largest sector in Finland. The megatrends of digitalization and automation also apply to streamlining commercial operations. Tightening global competition means that things like digital skills play an ever-increasing role in logistics. How does one become one of the success stories?
The essential question is this: will you help bring about the change or just follow it? Changemakers are pioneers who are not afraid to challenge themselves or try new things. Change requires the courage to choose new solutions and use the experiences they provide to guide the next decisions. Learning from others, implementing best practices, trying out new ideas, and constantly improving operations are some ways of achieving this. Here are some examples of pioneering companies who did just this.
IT wholesaler ALSO Finland is a good example of an agile company that is not afraid to try out the newest equipment innovations to speed up customer service and increase personnel motivation. ALSO took the opportunity to try out the effects of our gamification platform on the efficiency of and motivation for warehouse work. Gamifying warehouse management systems with visually marked goal levels and competitive dynamics is one of the most interesting ways of reforming warehouse work. By trying out these new innovations, ALSO is showcasing its pioneering nature. Whether you are looking to implement a short-term, medium-term or long-term innovation, it is always worthwhile to allocate time and resources to trying out new things.
One useful way of challenging your thinking is benchmarking. How have others been able to do things like increase processing speeds? Benchmarking consists of comparing your operations to examples drawn from the top actors in the industry. The basic idea is to learn from others and critically examine your own practices. Benchmarking can best be achieved through dialogue with other operators. We at Leanware enable our customers to do this by bringing companies together in real environments at our customers’ premises.
Many businesses in the trade sector struggle with the guidelines that wholesalers have set for their suppliers. Packing, marking and loading products correctly require intelligent information systems that can streamline the picking, combining and delivery processes. Lighting company Airam acquired a WMS for just this purpose. Airam often delivers goods to wholesalers, and the deliveries now take mere hours. In the past, that same time frame would not have been sufficient for the paperwork alone, let alone picking or sending out the goods. Many eyes were opened when we paid a visit to Airam and learned about their warehouse process. We also gained a new understanding of the needs of wholesalers when we visited S Group’s logistics center Inex Partners and familiarized ourselves with their fully automated goods reception process. We learned that the goods must be delivered correctly the first time so that the process can continue efficiently on the customer side.
Gym and sports equipment provider Fysioline serves as an excellent example of an SME that has transformed its regular warehouse into an efficient one. Before the transformation, the warehouse’s operations relied on memory, which lent itself to mistakes, goods piling up on hallways, and unclear inventory numbers. Today, the Fysioline warehouse functions clearly and efficiently: relevant operations are automated, the personnel works independently, and the whole process is controlled by a WMS. This change has had a clear impact on the company’s competitiveness, and there is plenty to learn from how the transformation journey was managed. Those lessons were shared with visitors to the Fysioline warehouse who were looking to develop their own operations.
We at Leanware think that the best way to showcase our skills is through our customers. Success for our customers means success for us. The future is driven by intelligent information systems, so hurry up and streamline your operations—that’s what the pioneers do! Take the lead!
