DHL Supply Chain’s evolving expertise deliver ahead-of-the-curve solutions in the era of digital disruption

Thursday 20 September 2018 15:40
DHL Supply Chain building on last year's double-digit growth by expanding its Thailand business built on digital disruption and anticipated changes in consumer expectations

The company foresees further growth opportunities in Thailand and plans to invest more deeply in innovation & technology and facility & infrastructure

DHL Supply Chain, the global leader in contract logistics solutions, is building on impressive double-digit growth in 2017 and expanding its Thailand business, with a reorientation focused around digital disruption and anticipated changes in consumer expectations. Last year, DHL announced that it would invest THB2.7 billion by 2020 into its end-to-end operations in the Thailand Cluster markets (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar) in an effort to continue strengthening its growing regional footprint as DHL Supply Chain foresees further growth opportunities in Thailand.

To react to the fast-changing disruptive environment and to keep our customers ahead of the competition, DHL has continually evolved its operations and services by adopting innovation-driven solutions and processes in both warehouse and transport operations. They include innovations such as:

Ring Scanner, a lightweight Bluetooth-enabled wearable scanner which allows quick barcode scanning while letting the staff keep both hands free for related tasks.

Vision Picking, which brings augmented reality into warehouse operations using smart glasses that enable a portable, high quality viewing experience.

Collaborative Robots which work safely alongside people to support on complex and repetitive tasks.

DHL Transport Management Center, a transportation management system linked to vehicle telematics that enhance fleet management, monitor and improve drivers' performance, and improve visibility and security of goods

DHL Connected View, a web-enabled system providing near real-time shipment data visibility that is accessible anytime, anywhere.

EPOD (Electric Proof of Delivery), which DHL implemented to offer customers an electronic form of POD administration, helping customers to save time and reduce their carbon footprint.

The company collaborates with customers to proactively improve efficiency within the supply chain, develop appropriate strategies and invest in supply chain digitalization technologies.

DHL already offers a cloud-based supply chain risk management platform, Resilience360, that allows customers to assess critical hot spots in their supply chains. Likewise, IoT-based tech, which has proliferated and become ubiquitous even at the home-use level, has been deployed in operational environments to display "heat maps" showing areas of warehouse activity to improve asset utilization and safety.

New services and business models have emerged to correspond to new trends and demands, such as for e-commerce and its associated or required services, as well as green energy, online payments, omni-channel services, the sharing economy and more. In response, DHL has put together the most optimized combination of systems, carrier solutions and resources to meet customer-specific needs while maintaining high levels of service reliability and cost efficiency.

DHL's recent research report on digitalization in the supply chain found that that most companies are only in the "development" stage of implementing supply chain digitalization technologies, and 60 percent of companies prefer to leverage their third-party logistics service provider's (3PL) investment in physical technologies versus investing in-house.

Kevin Burrell, CEO, DHL Supply Chain Thailand Cluster, said: "DHL is staying ahead in expertise and innovation, and positioning ourselves to be ready to serve customers by continually investing in technology and solutions for the always-on era. By applying innovation at every step in the end-to-end chain, including our processes, staff, warehouse and vehicle-based devices and IT systems, we can ensure we protect our reputation as the experienced leader in logistics solutions. DHL Supply Chain will continue to consolidate and support markets in which we lead, namely Thailand and Vietnam, and is committed to investing to provide industry-leading solutions in countries such as Myanmar and Cambodia".

DHL Supply Chain offers a wide range of services for customers across various business sectors including Automotive, Retail, Consumer, Technology, Industrial, Life Science and Healthcare, the Energy sector and the Chemicals industry. In Thailand, DHL employs 12,000 people across 70 locations, with a combined warehousing and distribution space of 650,000 sqm and a fleet of 4,000 vehicles.

DHL – The logistics company for the world

DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. Our DHL family of divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. With about 360,000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global trade flows. With specialized solutions for growth markets and industries including technology, life sciences and healthcare, energy, automotive and retail, a proven commitment to corporate responsibility and an unrivalled presence in developing markets, DHL is decisively positioned as "The logistics company for the world".

DHL is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group. The Group generated revenues of more than 60 billion euros in 2017.