We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • SUBMISSIONS
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • CSCMP EDGE 2022 Startup Alley
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • CSCMP EDGE 2022 Startup Alley
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
Home » Supply chain challenges demand digital solutions, HighJump says
Forward Thinking

Supply chain challenges demand digital solutions, HighJump says

March 6, 2019
Ben Ames
No Comments

The pressures of providing logistics services in 2019 is driving increased investment in the digitization of the supply chain as tech vendors and customers alike seek answers to challenges in workforce, transportation, and data, according to supply chain technology vendor HighJump Software Inc.

Even as companies struggle to hire, train, and retain enough workers, consumers are pushing them for improvements in flexibility, transparency, and data privacy, HighJump CTO Sean Elliott said in remarks at the firm's Elevate user conference in San Antonio, Texas.

The combination is forcing retailers to look for new logistics and fulfillment approaches before disappointed consumers take their business to competing e-commerce sites. "And we're not yet prepared for that," Collins said. "[The industry] may have some good starting points, but the supply chain of the future is not the supply chain of today. We need a digital transformation."

According to Minneapolis-based HighJump, that transformation could take the shape of software tools that allow companies to run simulations on their DCs and supply chain networks to model "what-if" scenarios and experiment with new approaches, an approach often referred to as building a "digital twin."

In recent weeks, the firm introduced a product called HighJump CLASS, a simulation tool that allows retailers to test warehouse layouts in a virtual world, running 2D and 3D visualizations based on real-world supply chain data. In a demonstration of the product at the user conference, HighJump said customers could use a "what-if wizard" in CLASS to emulate the sudden surge of volume that typically happens on Black Friday, and trace the impact of that event on their own virtual DC by using heat maps to detect potential backups.

In another application of the tool, users could feed the platform with their own DC data from the day before or even the shift before, then run a replay of the events to detect tripping points, almost like hitting the DVR button on a cable TV remote, Elliott said.

Other advances may come from HighJump's collaboration with its new Germany parent company, Korber AG. Since being acquired in 2017, HighJump has been able to tap into the resources of Korber Digital, a research lab that combines the efforts of HighJump and its sibling tech firms. Based in Berlin, the lab works on research projects in areas like artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT), and big data.

Three specific projects under development in that lab now include a wearable computing device enabling vision-assisted workflows for product returns, a "digital echo" platform that uses real time location systems (RTLS) to trace forklifts and other assets in the warehouse, and an AI platform for helping third party logistics providers (3PLs) onboard new customers and their master data.

Based on research in projects like these, HighJump traced its plan for technology developments in 2019 and beyond. In a statement to attendees at the user conference, the firm said its priorities include: artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous robots such as products from Locus Robotics or Magazino, the internet of things (IoT) and predictive analytics, and workforce productivity tools like voice and vision.

    • Related Articles

      JDA says Luminate platform adds visibility to supply chain planning through digital edge technologies

      Digital megashifts could give supply chain managers "superhuman" productivity, futurist says

      Analyst: shippers are leading carriers in progress toward digital supply chain practices

    Ben Ames is Editor at Large and a Senior Editor at Supply Chain Quarterly?s sister publication, DC Velocity.

    Recent Articles by Ben Ames

    UPS to acquire time-critical logistics provider MNX Global Logistics

    Kion begins recycling lithium-ion forklift batteries with partner Li-Cycle

    UPS to hire 100,000 seasonal employees

    You must login or register in order to post a comment.

    Report Abusive Comment

    Most Popular Articles

    • Wabash opens trailer manufacturing facility in Indiana

    • Six defining challenges of omnichannel fulfillment

    • Postal advocacy group says “excessive” July 9 stamp price hike will hurt consumers

    • California bill would require large corporations to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions

    • Panorays extends risk management throughout the digital supply chain

    Featured Video

    8757b894 244c 4429 b5d8 e6df7b479d82

    Penalties for Wood Packaging Material Violations

    Viewer Contributed
    Our Services Include: Customs Broker Denver Freight Forwarder Denver Global Logistics Denver Cargo Insurance Denver Customs Bond Denver Customs Clearance Denver Customs Duty Denver Isf Filing Denver More details: Phone : 281-445-9779 Email: info@gallaghertransport.com Website: gallaghertransport.com

    FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

    • Five questions to ask before electrifying your indoor forklift fleet

    • Operator assist system myths busted

    • Three layers of forklift safety: Promoting operating best practices

    • The Complete Guide to Automated Packaging

    View More

    Subscribe to Supply Chain Quarterly

    Get Your Subscription
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • E-NEWSLETTERS
    • ADVERTISING
    • CUSTOMER CARE
    • CONTACT
    • ABOUT
    • STAFF
    • PRIVACY POLICY

    Copyright ©2023. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing