CLOUD & CYBER
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Sally Miller , DHL Supply Chain , CIO North America , Retail , talks remote working , the use of cloud technology to navigate COVID-19 and cybersecurity
WRITTEN BY : GEORGIA WILSON
COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the supply chain industry . At the most basic level , our industry was challenged at the outset of the pandemic to put in place measures to protect employees in an uncertain and constantly changing environment ,” says Sally Miller , DHL Supply Chain , CIO North America , Retail .
In response to the outbreak , “ logistics providers had to support their customers in adjusting their supply chains rapidly to either drops or surges in demand . The sudden lockdown of production in certain regions or customer sites , the repurposing of manufacturing and supply chains to support essential goods and supplies , the rapid shift to online buying and the changes in consumer buying behavior were arguably the biggest issues faced ” explains Miller .
Whilst the pandemic has posed many challenges for the industry , “ at the same time , it has been an opportunity for contract logistic providers to demonstrate the value we bring for customers . The accelerated shift to e-commerce and an increased appreciation of flexibility and redundancy in the supply chain are two trends that are likely to persist even as we emerge from the pandemic , and our expertise and capabilities will play a central role in helping customers adapt to that new paradigm .”
THE RISE OF REMOTE WORKING IN SUPPLY CHAINS
While many employees in back offices and support functions were able to work from home , Miller explains that “ most of our frontline staff still needed to be physically present in sites . This brought the value of automation and robotics into sharp relief .”
DHL found collaborative robotics to be useful in multiple ways . “ They allowed us to help our associates to process the higher volumes while still supporting social distancing and other safety measures in the warehouse . And they could easily be redeployed across different sites to address sudden spikes in demand .” While this was already a priority focus for DHL Supply Chain , “ the pandemic has helped to further strengthen the business case .”
Miller also reflects on the company ’ s use of video conferencing tools during the pandemic , “ we have learned a lot about video conferencing tools – identifying the tools best suited to our ways of working and putting in place the necessary bandwidth to allow people to work seamlessly from home .” She adds that “ perhaps the biggest adjustment has been in ways of working , in helping our workforce to find ways of ensuring collaboration and engagement in a digital environment .” SALLY MILLER supplychaindigital . com 91