CARGOCONNECT-AUGUST 2025 - Flipbook - Page 44
SPECIAL FEATURE : PAY-PER-USE LOGISTICS
narrative emerges: full-stack platforms are enabling
logistics that moves at the speed of business. Visibility,
once considered a value-add, is now baseline. The
di昀昀erentiator is velocity: how quickly, intelligently, and
昀氀exibly the supply chain can respond to opportunity
or disruption.
From Complexity to Cohesion:
Tech-Driven Ful昀椀lment
Reshaping Omnichannel Supply
Chains
The rise of omnichannel commerce in India has
dramatically raised the bar for logistics performance.
Customers now expect not only speed but also transparency and 昀氀exibility at every touch point, forcing
supply chains to move beyond traditional silos toward
fully integrated, tech-driven ful昀椀lment models. This
transformation is making supply chains more cohesive
and customer-centric, with technology acting as the
key enabler.
Sunil emphasises the critical role technology plays
in aligning physical logistics with digital intelligence
to meet omnichannel demands. He outlines several
key capabilities:
* Dynamic Inventory Allocation: Advanced ful昀椀lment
engines can dynamically route orders to the nearest
inventory node—be it a store, dark warehouse, or
third-party distribution centre—based on delivery
speed, cost e昀케ciency, and stock health. This reduces
last-mile delivery times and minimises split shipments.
* Real-Time Visibility and Control: Integration
of AI and IoT technologies into warehousing and
last-mile operations enables real-time tracking,
proactive exception management, and predictive
alerts, which are essential for delivering a seamless
omnichannel customer experience.
44 | CARGOCONNECT AUGUST 2025
* Personalisation at Scale: Tech-enabled microful昀椀lment centres support customised packaging,
bundling, and delivery slot selection, allowing
businesses to enhance customer satisfaction while
keeping logistics costs manageable.
* Reverse Logistics Optimisation: Returns are
notoriously expensive in omnichannel retail.
Technology-driven ful昀椀lment optimises routes for
pickups, streamlines restocking, and facilitates resale,
turning returns from a liability into a competitive
advantage.
By bringing ful昀椀lment agility in line with heightened
customer expectations, tech-昀椀rst models are evolving
supply chains from cost centres into competitive differentiators within India’s rapidly developing omnichannel
ecosystem.
Jain adds, “As consumer expectations become
increasingly demanding across digital and physical
channels, businesses are adopting tech-昀椀rst ful昀椀lment
models to stay competitive.”
“Leveraging AI-IoT integration, smart 昀氀eet tracking,
and automated route optimisation, these models bring
unprecedented visibility and responsiveness. Real-time
telemetry, exception handling, and predictive delivery
insights are not just improving last-mile accuracy, they’re
rewriting the playbook for omnichannel retail. Whether
ful昀椀ling from a central warehouse or a micro-ful昀椀lment
hub, businesses now have the tools to deliver faster,
more reliably, and at lower cost,” he went on to add.
Patil underlines this shift in consumer expectation.
“Today’s consumers expect consistency regardless of
how or where they shop. That puts enormous pressure
on ful昀椀lment operations to be fast, accurate, and seamlessly integrated. Technology is critical here. It helps
brands manage inventory across channels, automate
warehouse operations, and optimise last-mile delivery.”
Further, Patil adds, “We’re actively enabling this
transformation at KSH. Across our network, we’re
building tech-driven ful昀椀lment models that support
real-time order 昀氀ow and uni昀椀ed inventory visibility.
Whether it’s a D2C brand shipping from Indore or a
retailer restocking in Chennai, the goal is to ensure
that our systems and our infrastructure help them
deliver a consistent customer experience.”
Jakhar explains how technology-driven ful昀椀lment
erases traditional channel silos. “Platforms like Prozo
integrate Order Management System (OMS), Warehouse
Management System (WMS), and Transportation
Management System (TMS) data in real-time, so one
carton of stock can serve a D2C order at 9 AM, a marketplace order at noon, and a quick-commerce top-up
by 3 PM—all from the same node, without safety bu昀昀ers
or manual transfers.”
Jakhar identi昀椀es three strategic bene昀椀ts from this
orchestration, which he outlines below:
* Capital E昀케ciency: Fragmented inventory pools
are consolidated into a single 昀氀ow, freeing working
capital previously tied up in isolated stock.
* Uniform Customer Experience: Every order,
regardless of channel or delivery speed, adheres to
the same SLA, compliance, and tracking standards.
* Faster, Lower-Risk Expansion: Brands can launch
