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competitors . That isn ' t sharing knowledge or investments . If you could do that , at the end of the day the cost is lower , you don ' t have to reinvent the wheel and you can focus more on your business ,” he explains .
He says the outcome was that they signed a contract with the Dutch cold chain association to develop an industry standard solution . “ So , they , together with their members , invested in building an industry standard solution with all the functionality which is normally used within cold storage companies . We developed an industry standard solution for small companies , for big companies – for frozen , fresh , storing foods , meats and proteins , or fish , fruit , vegetables , etc . Because we have a focus on this industry , we were able to shorten the implementation time based on best practices , and we didn ' t have to develop local functionality for individual customers . Because we based that solution on the Microsoft platform as a standard solution , we can secure that our customers don ' t have to think about the technology itself .
“ That ’ s what we did in the past . Today , we have expanded to three additional organisations in Europe and in turn to the US , Canada and Australia , and now Africa . We ' ve worked together with Gartner to identify the challenges of logistics service providers and trends .
“ I wish to share a couple of strategic trends identified by Gartner . The first one is industry cloud platforms . In the past , there were a lot of on-premise installations on local servers . What we see nowadays is that most installations are only partly done based on a cloud platform for installing , maintaining and doing the backup recovery scenarios . That is very time-consuming if you do that on local service – and you are not scalable . There are a couple of reasons why we now see a shift to cloud platforms .”
MORE GARTNER INSIGHTS
By leveraging pre-built connectors and adapters between widely used supply chain applications , organisations can accelerate integration processes and enhance visibility across the entire supply chain .
Moreover , Van Ekris highlights the potential of artificial intelligence ( AI ) in supply chain management . Citing research from Gartner , he predicts that organisations leveraging AI technologies will demonstrate a 25 % ROI by 2026 . AI-driven insights enable organisations to predict and mitigate disruptions , enhance scalability , and optimise resource allocation . He illustrates the practical application of AI in logistics through a
recent project in the Netherlands , where AI technologies facilitated seamless coordination between airlines and logistics service providers , ensuring timely receipt of critical cargo .
Addressing the challenge of unstructured data , van Ekris unveils a groundbreaking solution leveraging Microsoft Azure ' s cognitive AI services . “ By harnessing OCR ( Optical Character Recognition ) technology and industryspecific knowledge , organisations can seamlessly automate data extraction from unstructured sources such as PDFs . This innovation not only enhances operational efficiency but also eliminates manual data entry , empowering warehouse operators with AI-driven insights for real-time decision-making .”
Van Ekris illustrates the tangible impact of AI in logistics through a concrete example of streamlining inbound order processing . “ By automating data extraction and integration with warehouse management systems ( WMS ), organisations can achieve unprecedented scalability and predictability , while reducing reliance on manual labour .”
He adds : “ Cybersecurity represents an evolving threat landscape facing logistics organisations . Gartner research highlights the growing importance of cybersecurity risk management as a key determinant in business engagements . With customer expectations for robust cybersecurity measures on the rise , organisations must prioritise cyber resilience to mitigate risks and safeguard critical operations .”
He also emphasises the role of strategic partnerships , such as those with Microsoft , in addressing cybersecurity challenges . By leveraging Microsoft ' s comprehensive suite of cybersecurity tools and certifications , organisations can assure customers of the robustness of their security protocols , thereby enhancing trust and credibility .
Van Ekris reiterates the imperative of continuous optimisation , scalability and adaptability in navigating the complexities of the modern supply chain landscapes . “ By embracing AI-driven innovations and prioritising cyber resilience , your organisations can future-proof their operations and stay ahead of the curve in an ever-changing world .”
With his closing remarks , Van Ekris leaves the audience inspired to embark on their digital transformation journey , armed with the knowledge and insights needed to navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the realm of logistics digitisation . CLA
COLD LINK AFRICA • June 2024 www . coldlinkafrica . co . za 9