t cht lk
reporting that doesn’t deliver either on
immediacy or accuracy. GIS ties varies data
sources together into one usable view.
As this data is being shown in real time, it
allows for decision makers to make informed
and agile decisions on the spot. They can
solve problems, escalate issues, initiate
changes, avoid risk and make proactive
decisions designed to deliver better results.
The GIS challenge
There is a huge opportunity for companies
targeting a GIS approach to optimise their
processes at every point along the supply
chain. It has become increasingly evident
that, as key personnel become more and
more competent in their understanding
of GIS, they can accurately coordinate
their company’s processes around this
technology. They are also able to target
areas that are necessary for enhancement
or growth.
The optimisation of processes and
operations is something that every company
strives towards. It is easy to say but it is
often difficult to define. Where should
the optimisations take place in order to
achieve success? The answer lies in the
organisation’s willingness to implement
a GIS strategy and their ability to see it
through. Many companies are excited about
the idea of implementing this technology
to enhance operations but struggle with
defining how they want to use it, what their
goals are and what they ultimately hope
to learn from the technology. Often there
is quick buy-in from top management and
executives but significant resistance from the
people on the ground, the people who will be
using the systems.
to ensure that everyone understands the
technology and the value it provides. The
warehouse staff, the delivery vehicle drivers,
the operations crew – these are the people
who are key to the success of any GIS
implementation. To make the process as
seamless as possible, the technology must be
as user friendly as possible. High barriers to
entry and complex systems won’t engender
trust or engagement. The technology must
be targeted at the people on the ground and
designed to empower them and their roles.
“
WAREHOUSE
STAFF AND
DELIVERY
VEHICLE DRIVERS
ARE THE ONES
WHO MAKE GIS
SYSTEMS WORK.
If you can show these stakeholders that
their roles are essential to the business’s
success in implementing new technology,
then you will break down the barriers and
drive engagement. They need to fully adopt
and utilise the systems so they become more
capable and add more value to their roles.
Customisation delivers results
It is also important that implementation
skills must be customisable to fit certain
business rules. This ensures the best fit and
the best possible results. To further ensure
that any implementation fits the business,
ensure that your service provider can provide
unique solutions that help you gain an
accurate representation of data in both real
time and retrospectively.
Another large, industry-wide problem in the
delivery process is the location accuracy of
customers and delivery points. Tools such
as Google Maps have allowed for us to
minimise this problem to a certain degree,
but manually looking up addresses is a long
and cumbersome process that employees
don’t have time for. It is also a job done by
the Fleet Controller and Dispatch Manager
at the very last second before sending the
delivery vehicle out. This job needs to be
done further up the supply chain so that
the information provided to the person
dispatching the vehicles is complete and
accurate. This is where having a reliable
team dedicated to data management and
control can play a pivotal role, ensuring that
the data given is accurate, so the deliveries
are executed effectively.
Many organisations don’t want the
responsibility of ensuring the accurate
geolocations of customers. Fortunately, there
are service providers that can take on this
role and this is of value. Outsourcing the skills
and technology required means access to
the best and the latest of both. Any team
Warehouse staff and delivery vehicle
drivers are the ones who make GIS
systems work. Without them conforming
to requirements and adopting the systems
completely, data accuracy will be skewed,
and this will impact the effectiveness of
the implementation. This is one of the
biggest stumbling blocks when it comes to
successful GIS data and deliverables.
The reality is that GIS needs relationships.
Executives needs to gain buy-in from the
employees and the solutions provider
must build relationships across the board
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