In the past, logistics was a passive and, moreover, costly department of an enterprise. Currently, logistics is a highly strategic factor capable of providing a unique competitive advantage and many other benefits. Many applications and value-added services in transport management and warehouse management are today associated with the flow of goods from the material supplier to the manufacturer, and then to the end customer. The use of state-of-the-art information technologies has revolutionized the organization and execution of operations related to transport and logistics.
In today’s intensely globalized supply chain, efficient logistics management and transport optimization are becoming increasingly important. This is because excellent communication and coordination are absolutely essential in a world where components and products cross more borders than ever before.
For this reason, aspects related to transport and logistics in supply chain management are quickly becoming some of the most complex functions within an enterprise, requiring cooperation within and between many traditional functional areas of a given company, as well as partners, suppliers, and customers. An enterprise can no longer focus solely on its own activities; long-term success increasingly depends on the actions and decisions of companies upstream and downstream in the supply chain.
In short: transport and logistics play a key role in modern supply chains. Thanks to voluntary, user-created standards, transport and logistics companies can operate more efficiently, at a lower cost, and in a more sustainable and competitive manner.
Warehouse management – Warehouse Communication Integration project between Unilever and DHL
The implementation of joint deployment projects between Unilever and DHL has significantly improved cooperation between them. The use of GS1 standards (eCom XML) in electronic communication has greatly simplified contacts between partners. Unilever uses several dozen warehouse facilities across Europe, working with many different logistics partners. In 2005, Unilever – a global manufacturer of food, cleaning, and personal care products – developed a concept to improve cooperation with logistics companies by standardizing processes, creating an electronic communication system, and strengthening connectivity. One of Unilever’s partners was DHL Supply Chain – the arm of the DHL company specializing in contract logistics.
Both companies began working together to implement a project called Warehouse Communication Integration (WCI). This project involved creating a business process based on joint business activities and communication standards. WCI was developed as a pan-European initiative covering all Unilever product categories and all basic warehouse operations carried out at DHL Supply Chain, including, among others: receipt, storage, and picking of product deliveries to customers based on placed orders, as well as inspection and disposal of damaged products or products for which the expiration date has passed.
The article comes from the magazine “Logistyka” 4/2010.