The Logistics Point: Warehousing and Fulfilment conference took place on the 21st of March and was aimed at discussing the industry trends, challenges and opportunities by the field's experts through presentations and seminar-like discussions. A number of industry leaders presented on their respective topics in the field, with several animated exchanges on the topics throughout. The Parcelly team attended the event to learn from the experts, as well as to present on hyper-local warehousing as the ultimate solution to urban logistics.
Source: Parcelly Limited
The conference opened with own very own Michal Pasternak, Senior Sales Executive at Parcelly, giving a TEDx-style talk on “Hyper-local warehousing as the ultimate solution for urban logistics”. His presentation started off by outlining the challenges connected with today’s consumer expectations. With delivery moving faster and the demand for speed and efficiency increasing, hyper-local warehousing becomes the ultimate solution for urban logistics. Michal highlighted that besides being more sustainable, it allows retailers and carriers to hold stock closer to demand areas. The logistics technology that is available in the industry right now can drive change and, most importantly, facilitate collaboration across supply chain members. Michal highlighted that “we believe that an end-to-end tech optimised, and tech assisted urban logistic service, that breaks down mechanical barriers. Bringing fluidity and efficiency to the cycle can contribute to the solution of many major challenges in the industry”. He wrapped up by noting that Parcelly is among the companies that are facilitating end-to-end hyper-local logistics software and presenting several case studies showcasing the benefits of hyper-local logistics.
The day continued with Russell Holmes, Business Development Director at AutoStore presenting on warehouse automation. His presentation focused on “5 challenges for warehouse management & fulfilment in 2023”, which he outlined as “rising costs, sustainability initiatives, automation, space utilisation, inventory accuracy” according to their survey. He highlighted that “with automation, there’s no one size fits all - where, when and how we automate are all big questions”. One of the key takeaways from Russell’s presentation and the AutoStore survey was that communication is key, he stressed that “whichever direction the organisation takes, open communication between all layers of the business can ensure short- and long-term needs are met”. He wrapped up by highlighting that the three main areas businesses need to pinpoint are a clear view of the challenges, a clear view of the focus areas, and a clear understanding of the tech that can help them get there.
Source: Nick Bozhilov, The Logistics Point
The next TEDx-style talk was presented by Simon Rispin, Director and Principal Architect at Smalley Marsey Rispin Architects on “How can we further urbanise last-mile logistics”. His presentation focused on the importance of creating more mixed-use spaces in order to optimise all sides of the supply chain and fulfilment. He noted that it is more difficult to get planning permission for structures that have multi-purpose, as opposed to a generic warehouse, however, if we want to optimise the way the whole logistics ecosystem operates, we will have to start building multi-purpose spaces. He stressed that we need to “deliver better architecture and collaborate with people who understand logistics”.
Lastly, he pointed out that stakeholders also need to look at under-utilised spaces that are currently available, instead of investing in building new structures. He noted that Michal’s talk on hyperlocal-warehousing links well into this topic and showcases a clear need for this solution’s consideration.
The event was coming to a close with Elizabeth Selby, a partner at Bexley Beaumont Limited presenting “the importance of future-proofing your warehousing contracts”. She delivered a talk on key provisions in warehousing contracts that rarely receive enough legal attention at the contract negotiation stage. However, she stressed that they can be critical to enabling services to evolve throughout the term of the contract, to meet changes in technology and operational practices, whilst at the same time continuing to ensure value for money. She highlighted the need to pay particularly close attention to dynamic contracts and their advantages in enabling and encouraging change, alongside a continuous improvement to the operational processes.
And with that, we wrapped up The Logistics Point: Warehousing & Fulfilment conference. We’ve heard from many industry experts - there were many thought-provoking ideas and visions for the future that is certainly worth considering as we move forward within this ever-evolving industry.
Source: Parcelly Limited
Key quotes of the day:
Michal Pasternak, Senior Sales Executive at Parcelly: “The [logistics] challenge must be tackled with a holistic approach, with a combination of solutions and innovations. A paradigm shift is needed, from the way we design and develop our cities and towns, to the manner we harness the potential power of automation and AI.”
Russell Holmes, Business Development Director at AutoStore: “If automation is appropriate it needs to be fast to deploy, scalable and robust so it can last for decades to come.”
Simon Rispin, Director and Principal Architect at Smalley Marsey Rispin Architects: “Mixed-use logistics hubs located more centrally are the absolute future of urbanising logistics since the interest for the high street is coming back.”
Source: Parcelly Limited
Michal Pasternak, Senior Sales Executive at Parcelly:
“We truly enjoyed this inaugural in-person networking event organised by The Logistics Point. We’ve had a chance to meet and speak to several extraordinary field experts, as well as participate in a fascinating discussion which left everyone with much to consider. We will certainly be back to join more The Logistics Point events later this year.”
Overall, we truly enjoyed this year’s The Logistics Point: Warehousing & Logistics conference, participating as speakers and audience members alongside so many industry leaders. A massive thank you to Nick Bozhilov for organising this event!
If you missed us there and would like to arrange a meeting with us, contact
