How logistics can give the gift of time

My favourite things in life don’t cost any money. It’s really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time.” Steve Jobs

Like Steve Jobs, Bernd Stöger, Product Manager at KNAPP, thinks that time is the most precious commodity of all. At the Fifteen Seconds Festival 2019 in Graz, he explained how logistics helps us all win more precious time. All too often in our fast-paced world, we struggle with limited time resources, juggling job, family and leisure time. In our hectic day-to-day life, the things that bother us the most are the things that rob us of our precious time, such as waiting in line at the supermarket, or business opening times that just don’t work with our daily schedules.

New logistics concepts help us not to waste our valuable time waiting.

Time is a luxury. Would you agree?

Bernd Stöger: Absolutely. However, far much too much of our valuable time is spent on time-wasters. With shopping in particular, we can save valuable time. I spoke with shopper Lisa Miller about this, who shared her experiences with me:

As you’ve heard, e-commerce really simplified Lisa Miller’s life. However, she still sees room for improvement.

Bernd Stöger: Yes, such as the level of service for the delivery. For her, a connection between online and offline trade would be optimal, tailored flexibly to her needs depending on whether she wants to enjoy her shopping or just wants to get her errands done.

Lisa Miller’s example clearly shows that two different desires are driving our society and its shopping behaviour:

• Experience – the desire to fill our lives with unique experiences
  
• Convenience – the desire to get things done quickly and conveniently
  

So, e-commerce is the ideal platform for providing both experience and convenience?

Bernd Stöger: Oh, absolutely. That’s why we are seeing such a rapid rise in this business concept. Today, even though 90 % of trade is still offline, there are countries such as the UK or China where the online ratio is already doubled. In general, online trade is growing at the rate of 20 % per year. For many consumers, e-commerce has already improved the shopping experience, and now everyone is talking about omni-channel concepts as well.

Bernd Stöger on the mobility stage at the Fifteen Seconds Festival

How are these changes affecting logistics?

Bernd Stöger: We need fresh ideas for the value creation chain and its logistics. We need to find ways to connect the online and offline shopping channels to orchestrate a smooth shopping experience for the consumer. We also have to really think about the effects on our cities and on mobility, because the trend is clearly moving towards a goods-to-person process. The store is where the consumer is – online, but also offline. For example, the consumer can browse and get advice in the store, make the order and have the goods delivered directly from the warehouse to their home.

This saves valuable time for us as consumers, but what are the implications for trade?

Bernd Stöger: The “last mile” – how the order gets to the consumer after being fulfilled in a warehouse, a store or wherever – will change fundamentally in many ways. The real challenge is to pair the advantages of online trade with the strengths of brick and mortar trade.

How can we offer consumers more value?

Bernd Stöger: With the support of innovative technologies, intelligent logistics will allow online and offline trade to merge. However, whenever or wherever they shop, consumers are being given new opportunities.

For instance, distribution concepts are changing, including distribution from a fulfilment centre through urban and/or micro hubs.

This means that my purchase is delivered to me when and where I want, whether to a Click&Collect location, a package station or to a location of my choosing.

Shops are changing, and digitization and automation are making new store concepts possible. Omni-channel solutions combined with self-service or 24/7 solutions are now possible, and customers can get individual advice on an even larger range of articles at a smaller location.

In-store fulfilment and micro-fulfilment centres make it possible for orders to be picked right around the corner.

So, new concepts are emerging that will help us save time?

Bernd Stöger: That’s right. As KNAPP design and technology experts, we partner with our customers to implement this type of new concept. Our customers can therefore offer their customers a better and more convenient shopping experience that saves time and ensures the success of our customers.

Balancing individual needs and sustainability is our aim as a technological company, and we strive to achieve the perfect solution using innovative products.

What will you do with all the time you save?

 

 

Instead of spending Saturday morning doing the weekly shopping, I am going bike riding with my kids.

 

Bernd Stöger, Product Manager, KNAPP AG