Everyone is talking about it today. The supply chain is going digital. Technologies are making their way in this world which must be hyper-responsive and flexible to consumers who want to have access to everything immediately, with the best service. Which is legitimate, but which raises many questions of performance and costs at all levels of the supply chain. Technology will make a difference.
From warehouse management to delivering the last mile, there are endless opportunities for the technology. The big players are present in these sectors, but startups also play a significant role in these transformations. Without being “polluted” by the history of these professions, they come with a new perspective, encourage people to think differently, come out of the shackles. Innovation is taking more and more place in the management of the supply chain in the broad sense.
I am the founder of AMIA Systems, an IT company specializing in industrial performance and operational excellence. We started in 2014 with our software in the industrial manufacturing sector. Then we adapted our technology to the world of warehouses in 2016. Our challenge: to make the data speak visually.
Instead of working on aggregate data, we take the complete transactional data into account. We perform detailed analyzes to assess the efficiency of warehouse management. This data allows us to simulate the warehouse with new settings and suggest areas for improvement, whether slotting management, picking strategy, warehouse design.
Can we talk about Big Data? I like to think so, given the time you can waste with Excel processing these important datasets and the difficulty in getting them to talk …
In logistics, standard, static and Excel evaluations are generally carried out, whether for ABC analyzes or the assessment of KPIs (such as the use and wear of equipment). Providing a graphical representation of warehouse flows, operational KPIs such as the number of kilometers completed or empty/loaded runs gives food for thought. Not to external consultants who could support the logisticians, but to the teams in the field. Showing the efficiency of a warehouse in a visual way allows us to bring new areas of reflection to internal teams. They know the activity with these multiple constraints.
When the system is complex by its size, its multiple processes, having a tool to gain height, tackle the problems in their entirety, and help in the decision-making process becomes very important. Whether for strategic investment decisions, diversification, to support continuous improvement in the field by identifying losses or highlighting inconsistencies in master data.
Is this vision feminine? Maybe not.
What I can say is that I enjoy what I do. Working mainly with men is not a barrier. It allows presenting things differently and feminizing the meetings. Far from making it difficult for me, I think it’s easier to be a woman. Vision, sensitivity and empathy, the search for performance, and attention to detail make women an ideal partner in this world.
Moreover, women are increasingly present there. I see two reasons: the awareness of the importance of the supply chain in companies and the creation of new masters in this field.
It will take us more years to reach parity. But the same is true in any tech sector, and it is even more so when we go up the ladder. But in this reality, setting up a startup is a real asset and sweeps the “glass ceiling” …
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