The Evolution of Logistics with eCommerce: Our Central Role
ZeroUno, an authoritative voice in the landscape of innovation and technology, recently published an article by Emanuele Villa titled “How Logistics Changes with the eCommerce Boom.” This piece clearly highlights how the extraordinary growth of e-commerce, particularly in 2020, has transformed logistics into a crucial strategic asset for the success of any modern company.
The ZeroUno article emphasizes how warehouses and distribution centers are now under unprecedented pressure, needing to fulfill “next-day” and “on-demand” delivery requests while simultaneously optimizing every internal resource: from operator activities to the routes of material handling equipment. In this dynamic scenario, ZeroUno reiterates the centrality of the supervision system (WMS – Warehouse Management System) – a field in which we at Stesi are undisputed leaders.
ZeroUno confirms that 2020 was the year of the e-commerce boom, with a 31% increase in online product purchases, reaching 23.4 billion euros, as certified by the Politecnico di Milano’s B2C eCommerce Observatory. This acceleration has redefined consumer habits: receiving an order within 24/48 hours has become the norm, and even the online purchase of single, low-value products is now common practice, overcoming the logic that once suggested aggregating purchases to offset shipping costs.
The impact of this transformation on logistics is, as highlighted by ZeroUno, “enormous.” On one hand, there is the challenge of transport efficiency and sustainability; on the other, significant pressure on warehouses and distribution centers, which must adapt to ensure maximum efficiency and reduced delivery times. Today, logistics is, to all intents and purposes, a competitive advantage, and we at Stesi deeply understand this dynamic.
ZeroUno further explores the impact on logistics centers, emphasizing the need to carefully evaluate warehouse locations to best cover all served areas, given the importance of customer proximity in a world where “half a day makes all the difference.” The article also stresses the clear reduction of “bulk-orders” in favor of numerous small individual orders, a paradigm shift that compels warehouses to operate with “maximum speed and efficiency.” This requires “optimal synergy among structures, resources, material handling equipment, automation, and operators, all managed by a supervision information system.”
A crucial aspect highlighted by ZeroUno is the exponential increase in returns due to e-commerce, an area that traditional warehouses struggle to manage effectively without optimized processes and dedicated spaces. Furthermore, for some businesses, e-commerce means 24/7 uninterrupted operations, often supported by automation with AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) and automated warehouses, which relieve operators from repetitive tasks.
Finally, ZeroUno emphasizes the centrality of the Warehouse Management System (WMS). The WMS is the information system that manages all logistics flows and activities, coordinating resources on the floor and interfacing with the ERP and other enterprise systems. An effective WMS for e-commerce, like those we develop at Stesi, must be able to manage high volumes of small operations and, crucially, optimize internal logistics activities. This includes deciding on goods placement to minimize mission times and the ability to intelligently aggregate orders to allow for simultaneous management and minimization of picking routes, whether performed by operators guided by GPS-like systems or by automated systems.
An excellent WMS, ZeroUno concludes, meets the demands of online commerce also through synergy with courier systems, to optimize delivery times, and with management systems and online store front-ends, allowing customers to view stock levels and estimated delivery times. We are proud that ZeroUno recognizes the fundamental role that systems like our WMS play in this constantly evolving scenario.