As a result of the world turns into additional interconnected, the need for sturdy processes to find out and effectively deal with rising supply-chain risks has become paramount. Stellium, a administration consulting company with a strong world presence in America, Asia and Europe, offers tailored corporations to take care of the distinctive desires of the apparel sector in present chain, manufacturing and logistics. Stellium assists companies in deploying Internet of Points (IoT) items similar to sensors, RFID tags and GPS trackers all through their present chain infrastructure. These IoT items seize real-time data on product location, temperature, humidity and completely different associated parameters, providing visibility and traceability all via the availability chain.
By superior data analytics and visualisation devices, Stellium permits companies to analyse big volumes of present chain data, extracting actionable insights and visualising key effectivity indicators, tendencies and patterns. Its revolutionary in-house assemble choices – Superior Warehouse Analytics (AWA) and Superior Transportation Administration Analytics (ATMA) – exemplify this technique. Moreover, Stellium develops personalized present chain platforms and choices tailored to the exact desires of each shopper. These platforms permit seamless collaboration and communication amongst present chain stakeholders, facilitate real-time data sharing and provide end-to-end visibility into present chain operations, ensuring traceability and transparency all through the entire ecosystem. The company moreover specialises throughout the implementation of superior choices in warehousing providing full transparency, inventory visibility and monitoring of merchandise contained in the warehouse.
Stellium initiated its first Generative AI automation enterprise with a North American purchaser, and regardless of the enterprise, throughout the context of present chain administration, Gen AI automation can revolutionise operations by streamlining processes, optimising helpful useful resource allocation and enhancing dedication making. Stellium’s future roadmap consists of the mixture of Blockchain experience and Digital Twin progress to foster transparency contained in the present chain.
In an distinctive interview with Apparel Property, James Jaichander, SVP Purchaser Success (India, APAC & ME) and Worldwide Pre-Product sales, Stellium sheds mild on the company’s strategies for present chain digitisation and transparency enhancement, along with highlighting success tales, sustainability integration efforts and approaches to mitigate future risks.
AR: Share with us successful story or case study illustrating how Stellium has helped apparel companies overcome challenges, drive innovation, reduce costs or receive vital operational enhancements?
James Jaichander: Fully! By the use of our shopper portfolio, we’ve had the privilege of working with some important avid gamers like Pantaloons (Aditya Birla Fashions Retail Ltd), BESTSELLER, GMG (Gulf Promoting Group throughout the ME Space), Welspun, merely to name a few. Now we have now helped embark on a digital transformation journey with vital course of enhancements throughout the warehousing operations. For instance, with Pantaloons, with its intensive neighborhood of over 100 retailers nationwide, we launched into an in depth course of to configure SAP EWM for warehouses in Bengaluru and three completely different cities. This involved using regular functionalities of SAP EWM whereas ensuring compatibility with their current Infor WMS utilized in third-party warehouses.
The implementation involved a mixture of flow-through and pure cross-dock operations for the same allocation line merchandise. We fine-tuned processes to permit adjustment of allotted stock based totally on specific retailer requirements. Furthermore, we utilized strategies for the consolidation of stock contained in the an identical bin, catering to every frequent and e-commerce stock, with clear differentiation between ROD (Widespread Orderable Demand) and AFS (On the market For Sale) stock for enhanced inventory administration.
To care for accuracy and integrity, we established protocols for regular annual bodily inventory, daily cycle counting and the seamless add of rely outcomes from exterior methods. Furthermore, our system was designed to robotically set off the bodily inventory course of in case of discrepancies all through selecting, ensuring speedy resolution of any factors. The receiving course of was streamlined using RF (Radio Frequency) experience, facilitating the creation of mixed pallets and enabling rely verification through scanning. Our efforts resulted in improved effectivity all through selecting, putaway and inside warehouse actions. We achieved a 15 per cent improve in cross-dock proportion, facilitating sooner inventory turnover, fewer touches and heightened responsiveness to retailer requirements.
One different worthwhile collaboration was with BESTSELLER, a worldwide, family-owned vogue agency with over 20 specific particular person vogue producers. In a bid to spice up buyer help, BESTSELLER decided to consolidate quite a lot of smaller Distribution Services (DCs) proper right into a Single Central DC spanning 200,000 sq. ft. This consolidation effort was coupled with the configuration and deployment of SAP EWM (Extended Warehouse Administration). The deliberate DC aimed for automation and complicated processes, leveraging regular functionalities to minimise customisations whereas maximising effectivity. Nonetheless, challenges persevered, notably regarding stock visibility post-unloading, necessitating scanning and Objects Receipt Discover (GRN) completion. Furthermore, the need arose to bifurcate processes on the order diploma for every on-line and in-store orders to facilitate atmosphere pleasant order administration. With a take care of automation, along with sorters and conveyorised actions, the company sought to streamline B2C order processing, significantly in coping with e-commerce returns. No matter these efforts, challenges in order selecting persevered, with single-delivery SKUs picked at a time, leading to longer turnaround events and impacting helpful useful resource allocation and effectivity.
Nevertheless, we utilized quite a lot of measures to take care of these factors, along with the adoption of EWM choices similar to Dock Appointment Scheduling, Warehouse Superior Analytics and Cross-docking, resulting in larger visibility, administration and vital enhancements in On-Time In Full (OTIF) effectivity. Moreover, scalable automation eventualities have been launched, integrating conveyors and Resolve-to-Light (PTL) methods for supplies movement and monitoring, whereas merging strategies have been employed to maximise amount per case and minimise consolidation efforts. Direct integration with conveyors and system-guided duties extra optimised helpful useful resource utilisation contained in the DC.
AR: Sustainability is a rising concern throughout the apparel enterprise. How does Stellium mix sustainability practices into its operations?
James Jaichander: We recognise the rising significance of sustainability throughout the apparel enterprise and mix sustainable practices and points into our consulting corporations for customers in quite a lot of strategies. Firstly, in present chain optimisation, we take care of minimising environmental affect. We assist customers in streamlining their present chains to chop again their carbon footprint, whether or not or not that’s through optimising transportation routes, implementing energy-efficient manufacturing processes or sourcing provides from sustainable and ethical suppliers. One different important aspect is supplier collaboration. We think about in fostering partnerships between apparel companies and their suppliers to promote sustainability all via the availability chain. This may comprise working with suppliers to implement eco-friendly manufacturing methods, reduce waste and improve working conditions for staff. Moreover, we leverage experience choices similar to IoT and data analytics to spice up transparency and traceability throughout the present chain, enabling customers to hint the sustainability credentials of their merchandise from raw supplies sourcing to the highest shopper.
AR: Wanting ahead, what are some rising tendencies or areas of focus that may type the best way ahead for the availability chain?
James Jaichander: To begin with, I think about sustainability and ethical sourcing have become paramount. Rising shopper consciousness and regulatory pressures are driving apparel companies to undertake sustainable and ethical practices all through their present chains. The adoption of digital utilized sciences similar to IoT, AI and blockchain may also be reworking the apparel enterprise, enabling real-time visibility, predictive analytics and course of automation. Moreover, the rise of e-commerce and omnichannel retailing is reshaping present chain administration and purchaser interactions. Furthermore, agile and responsive manufacturing strategies have gotten vital for apparel companies looking for to stay aggressive in a shortly altering market. With rising globalisation and interconnectedness, present chain disruptions are moreover turning into additional frequent and excessive.