CARGOCONNECT-MAY23 - Flipbook - Page 32
COVERSTORY
APPAREL SUPPLY CHAIN
ies due to delays in imports, which
therefore cause stock unavailability. However, by increasing
inventory holding days, we have
been able to overcome delays, as
well as by pushing localisation for
the production of our categories,
in a way promoting the Make in
India campaign by locally sourcing products.
Additionally, it’s a challenge
to forecast consumer demands
and prepare our internal processes accordingly. The digital
transformation of Bata for capturing demand has been helpful and
unloading issues at marketplaces
as well.
We have implemented an
effective inventory management process which has
helped us to efficiently fulfil
customer demand on time
MAHESH GUPTA
AVP– SUPPLY CHAIN
BATA INDIA
THE MAIN
CHALLENGE IS
BALANCING THE
NEED TO KEEP
COST LOW WITH
THE REQUIRED
DELIVERIES BEING
MADE ON TIME
32 | CARGOCONNECT MAY 2023
T
he digital transformation of
Bata for capturing demand has
been helpf ul
and unloading issues at
marketplaces as well
The main challenge in supply
chain management is balancing
the need to keep cost low with the
required deliveries being made
on time. At Bata, we converted
the secondary distribution from
the hub-and-spoke model to a
direct warehouse-to-customer
model. Vehicle upsize and vehicle
capacity utilisation has also been
very helpful and reasonable to our
pockets. Apart from this, we often
face unexpected delays in deliver-
At Bata, we have implemented an
effective inventory management
process which has helped us to
efficiently fulfil customer demand
on time. With the use of proper
inventory management techniques
and tools, we stay stocked with
the products and this keeps our
customers coming to us. Simultaneously, we ensure our team is
making the most of the time and
maximising our business’s profits.
Today, Robotic Process
Automation (RPA), Artificial
Intelligence (AI) and Machine
Learning (ML), cloud computing/
big data analytics, Blockchain, etc.
are transforming supply chain
operations. These technologies
have helped create agile, highperforming supply chains that
respond to constantly changing
business dynamics. Some of the
most immediate and substantial
benefits include the following:
* Updating and syncing of
the database is an essential
feature for any organisation.
Technology helps collate endto-end data, hence reducing
the stress of maintaining and
updating the database.
* Data analysis helps to
reduce costs by improving
operational efficiency with
customer delight. Through
technology, man-hours spent
on analysing data can be