Innovation Update – download presentations

On 18 June Groenewout organized the latest innovation update and networking session in Breda. The program was divided into two sets of three parallel sessions, and the venue was Dinalog’s modern offices in Breda. With more than 30 participants and featuring plenty of knowledge sharing, interactive discussions and networking, the event was a resounding success. The presentations are available for download below.

Innovation session: Sustainable growth

Arthur Zondervan explained the business case of ‘Webvan’ – an online supermarket which grew very rapidly. Unfortunately it lacked a sound financial business model and the company went bankrupt in the summer of 2001. The lessons learned from Webvan are still very relevant today: margins are small and operational efficiency is crucial. Investments in IT and mechanization must be carefully considered, and high fixed costs and rigid working methods can be fatal. Scalability and flexibility based on product and order characteristics are the key to success.
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Innovation session: WMS

Wendel Dijker’s presentation covered the selection and implementation of warehouse management systems (WMS). Wendel followed up the brief introduction with five very practical questions which people should ask beforehand in order to ensure that they choose the right WMS and also that its implementation runs as smoothly as possible. The checklist generated plenty of response among the audience in the form of both discussion and recognition of the situation. Furthermore, Wendel talked about the importance of involving the WMS supplier in the implementation phase, and of choosing the moment carefully.
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Innovation session: Stock optimization

Groenewout hosted this workshop by explaining the many stock optimization methodologies and tools that have been developed. A business case was used to illustrate how a company can reduce its inventory by 50% while maintaining the same service level. This included discussion of the issue of which items should be kept in stock, in which quantities and whereabouts in the supply chain. The second part of the session explored the opportunities for managing stock in a multi-echelon environment, including the presentation of new solutions in each case.
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