Last Tuesday, together with VIB, the Association for Purchasing and Business Logistics, we organized a breakfast session on e-fulfilment. The purpose of this session was to explore the opportunities e-fulfilment offers in a rapidly changing world.
We cannot ignore the fact that a huge shift is taking place where notions of B2C and B2B are blurring. Rather, it's about putting the consumer first. Where you have to match your products and services to your customer's expectation.
The evolution in urban distribution
To reinforce this statement, Marc Schepers, founder of Citydepot and Smart Cities, came to talk about the evolutions in urban distribution. The starting point here is often the mobility issue. To find a sustainable solution to this, you have to offer added value for the stores in the city as well as for the consumers themselves. So it goes much further than time delivery, green cars ... It's about correctly mapping store flows, consumer expectations and public space in order to then steer your flows in a smart and digital way.
The digitization of goods flows
A great example of how the digitization of freight flows is having a positive impact on operations is Liège Airport. Bert Selis, Development Manager of Liège Airport, gave us insight into the strong growth of the airport and how important digitization is in this. It increases the speed of processing and goes hand in hand with increased transparency in the handling of goods. Crucial components that add value in the eyes of the consumer.
In short, the customer is central and to serve them to the maximum, we need to look at new models and structures. This is absolutely not only a matter of large companies, but is possible for everyone.
We are already looking forward to the future! Be sure to contact us if you want to know more about how we as an e-fulfilment service provider support your logistics!
