BUILDING WAREHOUSING COMPETITIVENESS

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Session Details

23rd September: Standardization in Logistics

1. Development of Standards: Traditional approach to Logistics chain management has been for each player to optimise his part, often to the detriment of ‘total’ chain efficiency. Increasingly global trade, agility demand of modern trade and e-commerce make standardization and gradation of warehouses paramount. Therefore, it becomes crucial to have discussions on standards across Racking, Handling, Palletization, Roofing and Flooring, Best-in-Class standards, practical challenges in implementation of standards, resulting cost advantage etc.
2. Discussions on Meshing of standards: Due to the variation in standards across different functions, it is important that the standards of one function are synchronized with standards of other functions. For instance, certain palletization standards will require corresponding material handling standards and subsequently racking standards for smooth transition. Therefore, this session can be about deliberating on consistent flow of practically implementable standards

24th September: Enablers and Challenges in Development

1. Land Availability: One of the major challenges faced by the warehousing sector is the avoidance of providing Industry status to the sector by many states. While a few states such as Gujarat and very recently, Uttar Pradesh (May 2020) do provide industry classification to warehouse and logistics sector in the context of land-use, some other states (AP, WB) still classify it as a commercial activity which results in very high cost of set-up. The need for clarity on this anomaly and driving the government to accord industry status to the sector pan-India on priority basis is critical to bring down costs. The current situation around industrial zones is that the warehouses are quite far and there is often truck congestion in and around the zones. A solution for this can be an embedded space for warehouses within the industrial zones being set up, including the Sagarmala project, along with a provision for truck terminals in order to improve the overall warehousing efficiency. Industry classification is essential for this, along with a change in paradigm in planning.
2. Skilling: The draft logistics policy calls for creation of 10-15 Mn jobs in Logistics, a significant part of which would be warehousing related. This will call for significant widening of the base of skilled manpower. There is also a need for quality institutes developing manpower at middle and senior management levels who can drive innovation, efficiency enhancement and provide considered inputs for policy formulation.
3. Long-term low-cost Financing: Obtaining funding at low rates has remained a challenge for the warehousing sector. Warehousing has received infrastructure status, but it needs to define how it is possible for warehouses to get funding from infrastructure funding agencies at attractive rates and with a longer term of 15-20 years. This can significantly release the pressure on cash flows during the initial years of setting up a warehouse and discourage players from sourcing funds from outside India.

25th September: Digitalization of Warehouses

1. Discussion on various aspects of digital warehousing: Digitalization has the power to disrupt the industry across various aspects. This session can be used to discuss some of imminent changes such as:
   1. Real-Time Data Gathering and Interconnectivity: Blockchain along with IoT have the potential to convert the highly opaque industry into a more transparent, efficient one with distribution of real-time information in a fast and secure manner
   2. Warehouse Mobility solutions: Use of smartphones and mobile devices provide functions such as imaging, tracking, cloud integration, video conferencing etc. which has not only liberated deskbound activities but also enhanced operational efficiency
   3. Smart analytics and Machine Learning: Predictive analytics along with AI can be used to predict product demand, optimize inventory levels and result in better capacity utilization
   4. However, given the current status, there is significant opportunity for automation in picking and packing, use of specialized low-cost automation and robotics etc. even without IoT.
   5. Autonomous Guided Vehicles: As a potential substitute for forklifts, AGVs and Drones can move cargo, locating cargo, conducting inventory counts and conducting stock-taking operations efficiently and economically
2. Discussion on global benchmarks and Relevance for India: While digitalization is happening across various domains within warehousing, all the process changes won’t be possible simultaneously. This session can be used to address the global practices of digitalization in warehousing and to hear industry views on current viability of such solutions in India and the priority order of these process changes in the context of current Indian warehousing industry.