It’s a tale as old as time with a formula that has worked several hundred years with very little variation. Until now.

The logistics industry has been around since humans found a need to transport and distribute things – we can go as far back as the distribution of resources during ancient war times – and has changed very little. The basic distribution formula has always been from source to distribution area. We may have added storage in between to adjust for requirements of scaling, but the process essentially remains the same.

But the birth of e-commerce set the stage for the next evolution of logistics. Instead of just moving products in bulk, these products must now be distributed in either of these two ways:

In bulk from source to distribution center and then per piece to the consumer
Per piece from the source directly to the consumer

The industry has stepped up but the increasing popularity of digital marketplaces plus the state of existing infrastructure and international policies, has brought considerable challenges to logistics providers. On a global scale (and even on a local one if you consider natural barriers that countries like Indonesia has), distributing direct to consumers is fraught with challenges, risks, and expenses.

Enter local startups, who bring to the table efficient digital processes, manpower to execute the distribution, and a knowledge of local policies and geography, and the future for the logistics industry is looking brighter. Or at least, cheaper and more efficient.

But how exactly will these startups affect the industry? How will the logistics giants, with their large resources, evolve with the entry of these new players who may not have as much resources but are unencumbered by long-standing policies and can therefore move swiftly with the change of consumer behaviour?

Join Charles Brewer, CEO of DHL eCommerce, as he discusses how logistics is evolving in the age of e-commerce at Echelon Asia Summit 2017. Get to know the emerging trends and technologies that are powering e-commerce logistics in SouthEast Asia, and get insight on the challenges and workarounds that logistics companies are employing to achieve last-mile delivery efficiency.

Charles will talk about e-commerce logistics and the future of e-commerce logistics providers as e-commerce marketplaces evolve in a Fireside chat held at the Future stage, accessible to all pass-holders.

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Echelon Asia Summit is a tech conference (June 28-29, Singapore) and year-long digital platform attracting international speakers, founders, investors and professionals.

New in 2017 is Echelon Thailand’s digital platform. Get immediate access to exclusive insights, participate in discussions and engage with the speakers and fellow attendees directly on Echelon’s digital platform, the moment you register (accessible from the Ecosystem page). What’s more, the digital platform will be accessible all-year even after the conference, so kickstart your Echelon experience today and embark on a year-long journey of discovery.

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About Charles

Charles Brewer is the CEO of DHL eCommerce, the arm of logistics giant DHL that focusses specifically on e-commerce logistics. He has been in the middle of the logistics industry for over 30 years, holding various positions in DHL around the world from 1984 until 2015. Charles went on to head Mara Group in Dubai and United Arab Emirates in 2015, where he established an e-commerce, B2C, domestic last-mile delivery company. Beginning 2016, he headed DHL eCommerce, where he was responsible developing solutions for fulfillment, cross-border, and last-mile delivery.

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Feature image credit: ake1150 / 123RF Stock Photo

The post Logistics is finally evolving and ecommerce is the culprit, a fireside chat at Echelon Asia Summit 2017 appeared first on e27.