SMM conference report: the future of shipping is how it deals with labour
The great and the good of the shipping industry recently congregated in Hamburg for the ...
GM: RAISING THE ROOF GGM: IN FULL THROTTLE GZIM: MAERSK BOOST KNIN: READ-ACROSSMAERSK: NOT ENOUGHMAERSK: GUIDANCE UPGRADEZIM: ROLLERCOASTERCAT: HEAVY DUTYMAERSK: CATCHING UP PG: DESTOCKING PATTERNSPG: HEALTH CHECKWTC: THE FALLGXO: DEFENSIVE FWRD: RALLYING ON TAKEOVER TALKODFL: STEADY YIELDVW: NEW MODEL NEEDEDWTC: TAKING PROFIT
GM: RAISING THE ROOF GGM: IN FULL THROTTLE GZIM: MAERSK BOOST KNIN: READ-ACROSSMAERSK: NOT ENOUGHMAERSK: GUIDANCE UPGRADEZIM: ROLLERCOASTERCAT: HEAVY DUTYMAERSK: CATCHING UP PG: DESTOCKING PATTERNSPG: HEALTH CHECKWTC: THE FALLGXO: DEFENSIVE FWRD: RALLYING ON TAKEOVER TALKODFL: STEADY YIELDVW: NEW MODEL NEEDEDWTC: TAKING PROFIT
It could be interpreted as ironic that China – whose export-orientated economy was built on its vast and under-employed labour force – is one of leading countries in the adoption of automation and robotics in its manufacturing and warehousing sectors; or it could simply be a sign of the demographic process under way there, with a rapidly ageing population. Either way, the most recent investment by Chinese e-commerce platform JD.com in a new highly automated facility outside of Shanghai is surely a sign of things to come, according to this report from Freightwaves. “JD.com and Alibaba understand that to make supply chains tighter and faster, it is vital to remove the human quotient from redundant tasks, which when relegated to automated robots would quicken the pace of fulfilment.”
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