Mistake 3 –Hesitating.

Every operation changes gradually and can unintentionally become inefficient, unpredictable, and unsuitable for automation.

WRITTEN BY RHYCE DAWSON, SENIOR CONSULTANT, TMX GLOBAL

Therefore, it’s essential to protect yourself and de-risk your projects by engaging external parties or upskilling your employees – often both.

In the same vein, at Gartner’s recent Supply Chain Symposium, Caroline Chumakov, Director Analyst of Gartner’s Supply Chain Practice spoke of the need for CSCOs to break down projects into component tasks and seek skills needed for those tasks across the entire organisation.

But if an organisation ploughs ahead with a transformation plan and automation vendors, they may invest in a solution that does not drive the best outcome for their business – and at a significant cost.

An initial investment in an operational diagnostic often saves hundreds of thousands in operational costs through tactical operational improvements, and millions in preventative capital investments. Remember, automation is not always the answer.

An operation is fluid regardless of the manual or automated status of the site. Vendors test the sensitivity of their designs, but the only thing that is certain is that design projections are never guaranteed. Project teams may increase their contingency plans or aim for perfection – both of which can kill the project. Systems can be made up of a wonderful mechanical maze of conveyors; however, they can be modified, manipulated, and adapted in the future. Use the data to drive the best solution for the organisation, and carry out due diligence independently, objectively, and accurately.

For more information visit: tmx.global

Case study:

Automation at a national scale

Organisations often don’t know where to begin their digital transformation or automation journey. The business must change, but it may not have the people, processes, or capability to do so. There may be a lack of project formality, or inhouse skillsets to usefully comprehend the information moving through the organisation’s supply chain operation every day.

Sticking to key, guiding principles upfront can help make it a less daunting undertaking. Here is how your organisation can avoid the most common missteps.

TMX partnered with Coles Group, one of Australia’s largest supermarkets, on a five-year automated fulfilment project. The investment in two of the largest and most productive automated distribution centres in the world (the first of which opened in Redbank, Queensland, this year) enables Coles to efficiently service 219 supermarkets and deliver higher service levels for customers. Working with Coles and additional partners WITRON Group, Goodman, and Richard Crooks Construction, TMX was engaged to develop highly technical design and architectural plans, procure property, and project manage the delivery of the facility –including integration of the automation. Coles Group Chief Operating Officer, Matt Swindells said, “Compared to a manual warehouse, these new automated warehouses will be able to handle twice the amount of volume of goods on half the footprint. It’s game-changing.” ●