A major advantage of the Polish Logistics Congress Logistics 2016 is its extremely engaging and content-rich two-day thematic sessions. On Wednesday, we had the opportunity to participate in discussions about intelligent logistics, innovations in production logistics, and effective solutions in omnichannel retail. We listened to over 20 presentations by world-renowned theorists and practitioners who discussed issues of finding common ground between contract logistics and e-commerce, presented innovative solutions towards the Physical Internet and combating threats resulting from the use of modern technologies in the supply chain, and encouraged an optimistic outlook on the future of the industry by presenting visions of using mobile, simulation, optimization, and IT technologies in production and logistics management.
The second day of the congress debates was full of topics related to modern purchasing strategies and the use of ICT in logistics processes, warehousing, and supply chains. According to experts, effective management of logistics processes without support from IT systems is practically impossible nowadays. A company that does not develop its IT capabilities and does not keep up with current trends related to the use of mobile technologies has no chance of achieving success and competing effectively in the market. The dynamic development of information technology has provided company managers with increasingly complex solutions. This applies not only to the applications themselves but also to the data management mechanisms they use.
The program of the second day of the Logistics 2016 Congress concluded with a plenary session. The first speaker was Piotr Frąckowiak from BCT Gdynia, winner of the prestigious Polish Logistics Association 2016 award, who contrasted the classic process of planning intermodal traffic organization, based on paper and multi-channel communication, with modern solutions of the T-Scale Intermodal platform.
– Modern, dedicated solutions for enterprises support electronic document exchange, reduce the possibility of typical human errors, and increase the credibility of exchanged information – says Piotr Frąckowiak. – The T-Scale Intermodal platform responds to customer requirements and enables the creation of a transparent substitution plan broken down by a specific day or week, and is characterized by user-friendly solutions, which translates into benefits for the entire industry: cost reduction, shorter delivery times, elimination of communication errors, and standardization of cooperation rules.
Professor Mieczysław Maruszkiewicz from the Warsaw University of Technology spoke about smart cities and crisis prevention.
– The “smart city” concept is based on urban models and solutions related to the introduction of innovative technologies, modern management, and organization – explains M. Maruszkiewicz. – The goal is to launch and support the development of intelligent urban infrastructure, rationalization of material resource consumption, and social actions and interactions based on a sustainable model of living, working, and learning.
Tools supporting the creation of smart cities already exist and are being partially implemented around the world: sensors collecting data, ubiquitous Wi-Fi, the use of Big Data, and GPS location. Some of them are even operating in our country, an example of which is the Tri-City urban traffic management system TRiSTAR (traffic lights, parking applications, traffic redirection).
The last speaker of the day was Professor Alan Waller, who presented conclusions related to using the strengths of the supply chain for business transformation.
Despite the official conclusion of the proceedings, participants of the Polish Logistics Congress Logistics 2016 still had the opportunity to hold discussions, exchange experiences, and take part in technical visits to leading logistics companies operating, among others, in the Poznań region. As in previous editions of the Congress, four thematic workshops led by Logistics 2016 speakers also enjoyed great interest.
This year’s celebration of logisticians is slowly coming to an end. Today is the last, third day of meetings, lectures, and debates. The ELA Research Day conference, accompanying the Polish Logistics Congress LOGISTICS & EUROLOG 2016, is currently taking place at the headquarters of the Institute of Logistics and Warehousing. Presentations and debates related to two topics will continue until 5:00 PM: Big Data and the management of supply chain structures in the future.
More information at www.logistics.pl