Automation is a given – how you handle it is the key
The key theme at Tomorrow’s Warehouse Coventry was operations professionals coming together to share insights and finds ways to ‘do transformation’ better in the warehouse.
WAREHOUSE AUTOMATION remains a key theme but the conversation has shifted to a keen focus on return on investment. For instance, Obinna Njoku, Head of Automation, HellermannTyton argued that while the technology remains important, governance is the more critical skill to possess when planning and implementing an automation strategy.
Obinna explained: “The issue is not whether to automate. Labour, complexity, and margin pressures are structural, they are going nowhere. Automation is economically relevant precisely because manual systems cannot absorb these forces without sustained cost-to-serve deterioration.
“However, most value destruction is self-inflicted. Technology underperformance is rarely the root cause. Low specification quality, flawed utilisation assumptions, and weak integration discipline determine poor outcomes more often that not.”
Obinna went on to outline what leaders should do next to help optimise outcomes for their operations. Truly invaluable insights. And Obinna was ably supported in this task by Miroslaw Zarembski, Director of Solutions Design, DSV; Kevin Price, Logistics Consultant, Dematic; Hilton Campbell, UK Managing Director, Interroll; Chris Mackie, Partner, Logistics Reply; and Sacha Williams, Country Manager UK, Consafe Logistics who each brought a unique perspective to the ever-evolving warehouse automaton debate.
Our second session took up the transformation point and pivoted more to software with Simon Ratcliffe shares insights on digital twins, David Bailey shared arvato’s remarkable story of quick, seamless warehouse automation upgrades, and headline sponsor Westernacher shared its wealth of experience in helping end users implement complex transformation projects. Westernacher emphasised minimising the ‘valley of tears’ by managing disruption, and taking a thoughtful attitude to change management. That is no easy task, particularly as supply chains today face relentless pressure to adapt to digital disruption. Westernacher showed how its meticulous approach can lead to success in the most complex of projects.
Simon Allen, Managing Director, Breathe Technologies; Carrie Tallett, Senior Product Manager, Forterro; James Percival, Business Development Manager, TGW Logistics; and Damien Skinner, Business Development Manager, Logistex all brought their unique insights and comments to the complex set of inter-leaved challenges users face with warehouse transformation.
Claire Charlton, Head of Open Innovation, GXO Logistics and Emile Naus, Partner, Bearing Point also shed light on AI trends at the event, emphasising both how quickly tools are coming into play, and how perennial issues such as data quality must be considered.
The dedicated Warehouse Property theatre was bursting with insights, with Presentations included Claire Williams, Head of UK and Industrial Research, Knight Frank with a keen focus on making cubic capacity count; Jo Russell, Planning Director, Stoford on delivering the right warehouse in the right place as development land becomes increasingly constrained; and Stephen Lankfer, Associate Director, Ennovus Solutions on actionable strategies to reduce energy costs, lower carbon emissions, and improve operational efficiency in the warehouse.
Tomorrow’s Warehouse Manchester takes place at the Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester on September 30 and promises to highlight warehouse transformation insights for the key UK logistics hub of the North-West. You can learn from experts and network with the partners you need to execute on warehouse plans at a time when transforming operations is no longer a nice to have.
You can register FREE for the event here.
