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Organizations that incorporate new technology into their strategies will be the ones to succeed in 2023.

Automation has made a home in the workflows of many warehouses, reducing labor costs via advanced technologies (such as robots, Internet of Things (IoT), RFID tagging, machine learning, deep learning and AI), raising the need for productive workers to oversee such technologies in the warehouse.

Despite these technological advancements, due to e-commerce fulfillment skyrocketing in recent years, the demand for warehouse workers to fulfill orders is still increasing. Moreover, processes within the warehouse are evolving as we move toward a 24/7 economy favoring direct fulfillment.

As in many sectors, the increase in labor demand is exacerbated by a shortage of workers. Many organizations still traditionally turn to contract workers to fill those gaps. However, the need for more skilled workers trained in the specific processes of the warehouse, as well as shifting labor laws make short-term contract work a less viable alternative. Instead of using contract workers as a stopgap, warehouses must find a solution for accurately predicting demand and optimizing their mix of short and long-term contracts.

Optimizing workforce management with advanced software ensures warehouse staffing is always proportional to need while giving employees the flexibility they crave and relieving managers of their manual employee scheduling burden.

In this article, we will explore everything you need to know about dynamic workforce management for warehouses. You’ll learn what it is, why you need it and how to implement it quickly to help your organization thrive throughout 2023’s volatile market.

Read further or download this article as a free E-Guide: 'The Ultimate Guide to Dynamic Workforce Management for Warehouses,' in PDF.

The manufacturing industry has been experiencing a growing complexity in the logistics of finished goods, posing significant challenges to companies seeking to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and meet the ever-changing market demands. In this article, we will examine the key trends and challenges faced by finished goods logistics in the manufacturing industry, with a focus on sustainability, process efficiency, employee and quality engagement, and digital transformation. We will also explore how data and mathematics can be leveraged to navigate these challenges, gain a competitive edge, lower costs, and improve sustainability.

Are you struggling to keep up with the evolving demands of finished goods logistics? From faster response times to sustainability requirements, the industry is facing unprecedented challenges that require advanced technology and strategic thinking. But how can you stay ahead of the curve and optimize your logistics operations for greater efficiency and service levels?

At our recent Finished Goods Logistics Webinar, industry leaders, including Suzan Gűreli, head of local distribution operation at BSH Turkey, shared their insights on the latest trends and solutions for optimizing logistics operations. Here are the top 5 takeaways from the webinar that can help you transform your finished goods logistics:

ORTEC introduces the third issue of the valued Data and AI in the Boardroom magazine. An ORTEC magazine to support senior executives to cope with the challenges, opportunities and risks of data and artificial intelligence, enhancing decision-making to secure long-term, sustainable growth in today's fast-changing world.

Volkert Engelsman is CEO of Eosta, which imports, packages and distributes organic and fair-trade products in Europe and beyond. This multinational company represents more than a thousand growers from six continents and believes firmly that the foods and agriculture industries require an urgent overhaul in terms of health, social inclusion and environmental impact: “As things are, we’re losing 30 soccer fields of fertile land every minute due to intensive farming practices. We believe there’s a different way.” To help make the right decisions, data are of crucial importance. Engelsman and ORTEC’s Frans van Helden sit down to chat about the importance of data, and more.

Interview with Volkert Engelsman, CEO Eosta

Over the past century, business have made huge improvements when it comes to optimal and cost-efficient planning, as well the organization of processes. However, efficient processes alone won’t solve the challenges of the current world. Demands and needs are changing; as a result, the traditional performance indicators are currently out-competed by other ones, such as customer satisfaction, employee engagement, and impact on the SDGs. The puzzle is becoming a more difficult one to solve. Businesses will need to adopt new ways to thrive, and maybe even to survive. Data and mathematics can help to solve the puzzle, but that means data and AI need a place in the boardroom.

“If you have to deliver between one and two million parcels per day, you need prediction models.”

PostNL has four guiding principles in its sustainability transition: CO2 reduction, livability, transparency and transformation, together with both customers and colleagues. Rogier Havelaar, who is responsible for sustainability at PostNL’s largest business unit, identifies three logistics trends: urbanization, new customer demands and data. The company has already been innovating at the intersection between sustainability and business for some time now: “Our targets are aligned with the provisions enshrined in the Paris Agreement; the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has officially established this. We also stated last year that we wanted to accelerate our greening process, and we are investing an additional 80 million euros for that purpose.”

Interview with Rogier Havelaar, Head of Sustainability Parcels & Logistics

Rianne Langenberg, Business Strategist at ORTEC, argues that algorithms should be treated somewhat like human employees by having the organization and management monitor whether they’re doing their job properly. She outlines five factors that, when done properly, will make it possible to manage algorithms. At the same time, she’s fully aware that life has to be made as easy as possible for human employees: “Algorithms are often new for senior management. We want to make them more accessible by giving them a familiar face. Our approach is anything but new: it’s a rejigged version of a system that most companies are thoroughly familiar with.”

In recent years, there has been a lot of talk about technologies that allegedly reinforce inequality, as evidenced by books on algorithms like Weapons of Math Destruction. Discussions about facial recognition software that does not recognize non-white people and major issues such as the Dutch benefits scandal have taken center stage in this debate - and rightly so. The reputation of ‘the algorithm’, it seems, has taken a hit. Undeservedly so, if you were to ask Gerrit Timmer: “Algorithms pave the way for objectivity, giving us the opportunity to move in the right direction.”

An interview with Gerrit Timmer, Co-founder and Chief Science Officer at ORTEC

Ever since Richard Emmerink got his PhD in transport economics, he has had an undying love for all things transport. After building his career at road transport companies, he had a change of heart and transitioned to the world of air traffic three years ago, becoming director of Strategy and Airport Planning at Royal Schiphol Group. Together with his team, Emmerink is exploring what future airports should look like. “We cover everything from runways, gates and terminals to air-rail substitution and hyperloops.” After all, Emmerink et al. are driven by the ambition to make future airports, and preferably all of European aviation, as sustainable as possible. He also believes that you should show that you mean business. “It’s important that your personal ambitions are in line with those of the company. If they’re not, you’re at the wrong company.”

Interview with Richard Emmerink, Director of Strategy and Airport Planning at Schiphol