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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. The puzzle is becoming a more difficult one to solve. Businesses will need to adopt new ways to thrive, and maybe even to survive.

By definition, entrepreneurship revolves around navigating uncertainty. The volatility of financial markets, the unpredictability of demand, obstacles in supply chains, new national and European laws and regulations, labor market developments: companies have always factored uncertainties into their plans.

In recent years, however, the world does seem to have become a significantly more uncertain place.

Lucia van Geuns, Strategic Energy Advisor, focuses on energy security and the geopolitics of energy at independent knowledge institute The Hague Center for Strategic Studies (HCSS). In her expert opinion, the energy market will be facing volatile and uncertain 10 to 15 years: “Developing future scenarios and storylines are crucial in strategic thinking, both for companies and countries. Though, it is important to realize that there is no predicting the future. The path toward a new energy system will be a messy one, requiring a joint program allowing for a more strategic, coherent, and coordinated approach from governments and the industry.

Interview with Lucia van Geuns, Strategic Advisor Energy at the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies

April 15, 2023 - Zoetermeer - Today, the Dutch Puzzle and Sudoku Championship took place at the headquarters of ORTEC in Zoetermeer, the Netherlands. After a challenging qualification round, the event welcomed the best 41 puzzle enthusiasts competing for the title of Dutch 2023 champion in Sudoku and logical puzzles. For both, the championship title was prolonged and renewed by previous winners.

April 4, 2023

Today, we celebrated in two-fold: the sixth anniversary of ORTEC’s Education Factory, while kicking-off another learning season. As we believe learning is a never-ending journey, we offer ORTEC employees continuous learning opportunities. Through The Education Factory, ORTEC’s internal academy, we offer trainings to our global workforce. From soft skills to data science and for starters to senior professionals: there are learning possibilities for everyone. This year, the curriculum has expanded again, now offering 113 different courses.

Innovation is essential to stay competitive and grow. However, many businesses fall into common innovation mistakes. Over 90% of innovation projects end in failure.* How come? The Innovation Practice Team at ORTEC lists five common mistakes organizations make when pursuing innovation, and how to avoid them.

*Source: CIO

March 28, 2023

At ORTEC we are dedicated to protecting the privacy and security of our customers by handling their data securely. Through yearly independent audits, we test our information security management. In addition to our recently confirmed ISO 27001 and NEN 7510 certificates, we have now also received a renewed ISAE 3000 Type II report, also known as SOC 2 type II report. The certificates and report indicate that we comply with the (international) standards for information security.

In today's fast-paced business world, manufacturers face increasing pressure to deliver their products quickly and cost-effectively to customers. One critical aspect of achieving this goal is having an efficient finished goods logistics system. This system involves managing the movement and storage of products from the manufacturing facility to the final customer, including shipping, transportation, inventory management, and quality control. In this article, we will provide a comprehensive overview of finished goods logistics for manufacturers, including different logistics systems available, key factors to consider, and common challenges and solutions. We will also present a successful case study of finished goods logistics implementation to demonstrate the positive impact on the business. By the end of this article, you will gain a better understanding of how to improve your logistics systems and drive success for your business.

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.

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: '"he Ultimate Guide to Dynamic Workforce Management for Warehouses,'"in PDF.