The confirmed 2020 Grand Jury includes; Swati Bhattacharya, Chief Creative Officer at FCB ULKA Liz Taylor, Global Chief Creative Officer Leo Burnett & CCO Publicis Communications North America Katarzyna Sosnierz, Creative Director & Co-Founder at LVOV in Poland, Jureeporn Thaidumrong, Chairwoman & Chief Creative Officer at GREYnJ UNITED, Nicole McMillan, vice-president of marketing for Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Africa at MARS, Nadja Bellan-White, CCO; Europe, Middle East, and Africa Executive Partner at The Ogilvy Group, Lucinda Barlow, Senior Marketing Director at Uber, APAC, Robin Fitzgerald, Chief Creative Officer at BBDO Atlanta, Janne Lysø Norway, Creative Director & Founding partner POL Norway, Tamara Howe Managing Director VICELAND/VICE TV & Production, EMEA At VICE Media UK.
Executive jury sessions will be held in New York, London, Helsinki, Berlin, Johannesburg, Istanbul, Melbourne, Madrid, Buenos Aires and Bangkok. Each city will bring together some of the most respected agency and brand leaders to choose the shortlist which will be announced mid-June.
New for Gerety 2020, the executive jury sessions will each choose agency and production company of the year from their country. The Berlin Jury will choose the German agency of the year, the New York Jury session will choose the USA agency of the year etc, the winner will be announced after each judging session.
To see the full list of confirmed 2020 Grand Jury and Ambassadors please visit: geretyawards.com/grand-jury-and-ambassadors
Next-Generation NVMe SSD Helps Achieve Optimal Performance and AccessibilityContent Creators and PC Enthusiasts
Lagos, Nigeria. – (Dec. 10, 2019) – Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC) is capable of delivering up to four times the speed of SATA SSDs with the new WD Blue SN550 NVMe SSD. The newest member of the award-winning WD Blue portfolio, as well as another performance-focused NVMe SSD, the new drive is purpose-built for content creators and PC users, allowing them to boot faster and work smarter.
Supports the Four Core Storage Demands
Today’s content creators use data storage at ever-increasing rates. Whether it’s working with 4K/8K video, large document files or storage-intensive applications, these digital environments demand reliable performance, durability, speed, and capacity that the NVMe interface can deliver. According to forwarding Insights, NVMe is forecast to account for more than 75 per cent of the storage shipped in the PC segment by 2021[1]. Leveraging the proven reliability of Western Digital’s NVMe product portfolio, the WD Blue SN550 NVMe SSD is built to address these four core demands, transforming them from pain points to creative productivity.
“Taking an NVMe-first approach can speed up system performance tremendously. This translates to less time waiting on data, so creators can work smarter, not harder, to increase both output and potential income,”said Eric Spanneut, vice president and general manager, Client Business Unit, Western Digital.
“The WD Blue SN550 is a great option for customers looking for an all-NVMe portfolio. For a system builder, it means Western Digital delivers a full portfolio of NVMe and SATA SSDs, as well as high-capacity hard drives. This gives them immense flexibility to build systems for our customers’ varying needs.”
Powerful Internal Speeds to Do More, Faster
Whether working, creating, casual gaming or processing large amounts of data, the WD Blue SN550 NVMe SSD can deliver over four times the speed of Western Digital’s fastest SATA drives. With boosted internal speeds, this brings a better overall computing experience for multitaskers and resource-heavy application users who want a fast and responsive system to tackle tough workloads. In addition, an upgraded thermal design enables ultra-responsive PC performance and sustained performance during intense use.
WD Blue SN550 NVMe SSD Specs and Availability
Available in capacities from 250GB to 1TB* in an affordable M.2 2280 form factor
Over 4X read speeds of our SATA SSDs at up to 2,400 MB/s**
The judging panels were impressed by Ecobank’s sound management, business model and strategic initiatives as well as its pioneering technology
LOME, Togo, December 9, 2019,/ — Ecobank (www.Ecobank.com) wins “Bank of the Year” and “Best Bank” at The Banker and EMEA Finance Awards in London.
Ecobank Cameroon, Gambia and Rwanda won Bank of the Year at The Banker Awards on 28th November. This recognition came just before Ecobank Cabo Verde, Gambia, Liberia and Zimbabwe won Best Bank at the EMEA Finance African Banking Awards on 5th December. The Banker is the most prestigious global financial publication and EMEA Finance is widely read by the international banking community.
Ade Ayeyemi, Group CEO of Ecobank said: “We are pleased to be recognised as ‘Bank of the Year’ and ‘Best Bank’ in two distinguished award ceremonies in London. This confirms the strength of our brand in multiple countries across Africa, our unique pan-African platform and innovative banking products and solutions. Indeed, our One Bank strategy is providing the desired banking excellence for our consumer, commercial and corporate customers across the 33 countries in which we operate on the continent.”
The judging panels were impressed by Ecobank’s sound management, business model and strategic initiatives as well as its pioneering technology. They highlighted the bank’s recent innovations, including digitalised trade finance products, Ecobank Online & Omni Lite, digital payment solution, Ecobank Pay, and cross-border remittance solution, Rapidtransfer. These products are transforming the banking sector and empowering African businesses by providing accessibility and affordability.
President Muhammadu Buhari has named Mr. Muhammad M. Nami as the new chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service.
He replaces Mr. Tunde Fowler, whose tenure expired on Monday.
He is a tax consultant and graduate of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State.
“Mr. Muhammad, a well-trained tax, accounting and management professional with highly rated qualifications and professional practice and licenses from relevant professional bodies, has almost three decades of practical work experience in Auditing, Tax Management and Advisory and Management services to clients in the banking, manufacturing, services and public sectors as well as non-profit organisations,”the Presidency said in statement by spokesperson, Garba Shehu.
Buhari also approved the composition of the board of FIRS.
“Bad news” events, the impact of climate change, bankruptcies and political challenges have increasing risk implications for directors and officers (D&Os)
Growth of securities class actions and third party funding globally means litigation against companies and their D&Os is on the rise. US, Canada and Australia see the highest activity but these trends are developing around the world
The profitability of D&O insurance sector impacted in recent years due to increasing competition, growth in lawsuits and rising claims frequency and severity. Further volatility anticipated
The range of risks facing company executives or directors and officers (D&Os) – as well as the resultant insurance claims scenarios – has increased significantly in recent years. With corporate management under the spotlight like never before, a new report by insurer Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) highlights five megatrends which will have significant risk implications for senior management in 2020 and beyond. The report, “Directors And Officers Insurance Insights 2020”, also examines some of the factors which are driving recent changes in the D&O insurance market after a period of sustained large loss activity.
1. More litigation coming from “bad news”
“AGCS continues to see more claims against D&Os emanating from ‘bad news’ events not necessarily related to financial results,” says Shanil Williams, Global Head of Financial Lines at AGCS.“Scenarios include product problems, man-made disasters, environmental disasters, corruption and cyber-attacks.” These types of “event-driven” cases often result in significant securities or derivative claims from shareholders after the bad news causes a fall in share price or a regulatory investigation. Of the top 100 US securities fraud settlements ever, 59% are event-driven [1]. There has also been a spike in claims resulting from the #metoo movement, where it is alleged D&Os allowed a toxic culture to take hold and endure within companies. Other prevalent types of events are cyber incidents. AGCS has seen a number of securities class actions, derivative actions and regulatory investigations and fines, including from the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), in the last year, and expects an acceleration in 2020.
2. Climate change litigation on the rise
Failure to disclose climate change risks will increasingly result in litigation in future. Climate change cases have already been brought in at least 28 countries around the world to date with three-quarters of those cases filed in the US. There is an increasing number of cases alleging that companies have failed to adjust business practices in line with changing climate conditions. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) failings can cause brand values to plummet. “Directors will be held responsible for how ESG issues and climate change are addressed at a corporate level,” says Williams. “Increasingly, they will have to consider the impact of these when looking at strategy, governance, risk management and financial reporting.”
3. Growth of securities class actions globally
Securities class actions are growing globally as legal environments evolve. AGCS has seen increasing receptivity of governments around the world to collective redress and class actions, particularly across Europe but also in other territories such as Thailand and Saudi Arabia. At the same time, the level of filing activity in the US has been at record highs in recent years with over 400 filings in both 2017 and 2018, almost double the average number of the preceding two decades. This increased activity is impacting both US and foreign companies which have securities listed directly in the US.
With global law firm, Clyde & Co, AGCS has compiled a risk map in the report which assesses the risk of a company being subject to a securities group action in a particular jurisdiction, taking into account the availability and prevalence of third-party litigation funding, which is regarded as a strong factor in increased group action activity around the globe. While countries such as the US, Canada and Australia see the highest activity and most developed securities class action mechanisms, overall, such mechanisms are developing and strengthening around the world with the Netherlands, Germany, England and Wales showing notable development and increased activity in recent years.
4. Bankruptcies and political challenges impact
AGCS expects to see increased insolvencies which may potentially translate into D&O claims. Business insolvencies rose in 2018 by more than 10% year-on-year, owing to a sharp surge of over 60% in China [1]. In 2019, business failures are set to rise for the third consecutive year by more than 6% year-on-year, with two out of three countries poised to post higher numbers of insolvencies than in 2018. “Political challenges, including significant elections, Brexit and trade wars, could create the need for risk planning for boards, including revisiting currency strategy, merger and acquisition (M&A) planning and supply chain and sourcing decisions based on tariffs. Poor decision-making may also result in claims from stakeholders,” says Williams.
5. Litigation funders spread across the world
All of these megatrends are further fueled by litigation funding now becoming a global investment class, attracting investors hurt by years of low-interest rates searching for higher returns.
Litigation funding reduces many of the entrance cost barriers for individuals wanting to seek compensation, although there is much debate around the remuneration model of this business. Recently, many of the largest litigation funders have set up in Europe. Although the US accounts for roughly 40% of the market, followed by Australia and the UK, other areas are opening up, such as recent authorizations for litigation funding for arbitration cases in Singapore and Hong Kong. India and parts of the Middle East are predicted to be future hotspots.
The challenging D&O insurance market
Although it is estimated around the US $15bn worth of premiums are collected annually for D&O insurance the profitability of the sector has been challenged in recent years due to increasing competition, growth in the number of lawsuits and rising claims frequency and severity. AGCS has seen double-digit growth in the number of claims it has received over the past five years.
Insurers are facing more legal costs due to increased activity, as well as more settlements and claims. Another issue is that “event-driven” litigation results in aggregation issues where multiple policies may be triggered. One event could trigger both D&O and either aviation, environmental, construction, product recall or cyber insurance policy claims, for example.
“D&O insurance addresses the intrinsic strategic risks of corporations and their senior management, and over the past year the D&O market has seen major change and likely will experience further volatility in 2020,” says Williams. “One of the best defences to protect against such volatility is for risk managers and their D&Os to maintain an open dialogue with underwriters and brokers so that all parties can gain a better understanding of the risk culture and governance within an organization.”
The Absa Africa Financial Markets Index evaluates the financial market development in 20 countries and highlights economies with the clearest growth prospects. The aim is to show not just present positions but also how economies can improve market frameworks to meet yardsticks for investor access and sustainable growth. The index assesses countries according to six pillars: market depth; access to foreign exchange; tax and regulatory environment and market transparency; capacity of local investors; macroeconomic opportunity; and enforceability of financial contracts, collateral positions and insolvency frameworks.
In addition to quantitative analysis, OMFIF gained additional insights by surveying over 40 policy-makers and top executives from financial institutions operating across the 20 countries, including banks, investors, securities exchanges, central banks, regulators, audit and accounting firms and international financial and development institutions.
The report finds that:
South Africa tops the index largely due to its sizeable lead in ‘market depth’. While it is likely to remain an outlier in this pillar, the creation of new bourses and key mergers between existing ones will improve the standing of other countries in the coming years. This year, Botswana, Kenya and Namibia join the ranks f countries that score over 50 in Pillar 1, which also includes Nigeria, Mauritius and Ghana. Issuance of new debt with longer tenor has lengthened the yield curve in Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania. The creation of new products, such as green and blue bonds, could enhance market activity and attractiveness to foreign investors in the coming years. Assigning primary dealers will help create a secondary market in jurisdictions where none yet exist.
Other countries are catching up in the rest of the index. Egypt has the highest score in ‘macroeconomic opportunity’ while Mauritius and Kenya claim the two top spots in ‘legality and enforceability of standard financial markets master agreements’. Ethiopia, although lagging behind, has significant potential for improvement in the coming year. It has announced plans to establish a stock exchange in 2020. Local banks and other financial service firms are in the process of adopting international financial reporting standards.
Countries perform best collectively in ‘market transparency, tax and regulatory environment’, with 13 out of 20 scorings above the average mark of 67. Favourable tax
regimes in different jurisdictions incentivise market activity and the entry of new players. Survey respondents in Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana and South Africa gave positive feedback for their respective tax systems. Uganda, Cameroon and Senegal have earned international corporate credit ratings for the first time.
‘Legality and enforceability of standard financial markets master agreements’ improved significantly, with the average score growing to 55 from 47 last year. Amendments to insolvency laws and processes boost the scores of Kenya, Morocco and Rwanda. Ghana, Morocco and Seychelles are considering enacting some form of netting legislation, which would earn them higher marks in coming years.
‘Access to foreign exchange’ is the only pillar where average scores fell. Aggregated reserves grew modestly to $244bn from $233bn last year, but countries like Zambia and Angola are running low, leaving them potentially vulnerable to foreign exchange risk. There is also a high disparity in interbank foreign exchange turnover across countries. South Africa’s turnover is 466% of GDP, but the index average without it is only 13%.
Egypt’s strong performance in ‘macroeconomic opportunity’ is driven by steady economic and export growth, along with a decline in non-performing loans. It does well in macro reporting and transparency, topping Pillar 5 as it completed the International Monetary Fund’s reform programme earlier this year.
The amount of pension assets varies greatly among countries in the index. Mauritius leads with $4,331 per capita, followed closely by South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Seychelles. Meanwhile, 11 countries have less than $100 pension fund assets for every person. Expanding the coverage of pension schemes increases the number of investible assets available, enhancing local investor capacity. Because of limited product availability, pension funds in some countries are constrained to investing in sovereign securities. Building up pension fund assets through innovative and inclusive schemes can help spur demand for a wider range of financial products and lead to greater market activity.
There have been significant improvements for individual countries since the index was first established in 2017. Since then, countries have taken steps to align their local market infrastructure with global standards. Tracking these changes annually helps measure the gradual progress of Africa’s financial markets and provide guidance on how countries can advance further.
From Germany to China, the BMW Group has once again been confirmed as one of the world’s most attractive employers by various studies in 2019. The BMW Group was the highest-placed automobile manufacturer worldwide in the Universum ranking of the World’s Most Attractive Employers in 2019.
BMW Group’s HR Marketing Team. 12/2019
From Germany to China, the BMW Group has once again been confirmed as one of the world’s most attractive employers by various studies in 2019. The BMW Group was the highest-placed automobile manufacturer worldwide in the Universum ranking of the World’s Most Attractive Employers in 2019. Among engineering and IT students, the company also placed fourth, behind Google, Microsoft and Apple. Universum surveyed more than 240,000 students from 12 countries for the study.
The BMW Group has consistently placed first in the Trendence Young Professionals Barometer in Germany every year since 2012. This autumn, the Trendence Institute recognised the BMW Group for topping its Graduate Barometer more than any other company over the past two decades with the special award “Top Employer of the Past 20 Years”.
In the national Universum Young Professionals Study 2019, the company also ranked highly in the Business (1), Engineering (2) and IT (3) categories. In China, the renowned Zhaopin Study once again named the BMW Group most attractive employer in 2019. The BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA) joint venture also won the “Excellence in Talent Attraction & Retention” award from 51jobs.com, a leading human resources service provider in China.
“Being a highly attractive employer is extremely important for us in recruiting the best talents in a highly competitive market,” explained Ilka Horstmeier, member of the Board of Management responsible for Human Resources, and Labour Relations Director at BMW AG. “We are successfully shaping the sustainable mobility of the future – and that makes us more appealing as an employer. But we are certainly not resting on our laurels.” For instance, the BMW Group now offers an expert career path, equivalent to the management track, which opens up career opportunities without disciplinary responsibility. Employees and prospective employees also appreciate the company’s flexibility on hours and location, attractive salary and range of additional benefits. Another big motivator for future and existing employees is the strong emotional appeal of the BMW Group’s attractive product portfolio.
The BMW Group employs more than 134,000 people worldwide. The company continues to hire IT and other specialists selectively for future projects such as data analytics, software development, artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, electromobility and innovative drive trains, as well as smart logistics & production and robotics.
Mercedes-Benz sold 209,058 cars worldwide last month, passing the mark of 200,000 units delivered for the first time in a November (+5.3%).
From January to November, a total of 2,133,594 vehicles were sold – a sales increase of 1.4%.
In November and since the beginning of the year, unit sales increased in the three major sales markets: China, Germany and the United States.
“With convincing products and the impetus from our model offensive with compact cars and SUVs, we have started the year-end spurt with confidence. In November, we presented the Maybach GLS, the first SUV model from our exclusive Mercedes-Maybach brand. For our customers, the Mercedes-Maybach GLS combines the advantages of the popular GLS with the luxury of a high-end Saloon that Maybach customers are used to. Since the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Saloon was launched in 2015, more than 45,000 units of this model alone have been delivered to customers all over the world,” stated Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and of Mercedes-Benz AG responsible for Sales.
For the first time, global sales by Mercedes-Benz passed the mark of 200,000 units in November: deliveries of 209,058 cars constitute an increase of 5.3%. Not only was a new record high reached for the month, but unit sales also increased by 1.4% in the period of January to November. Last month and also since the beginning of the year, the previous year’s sales were exceeded in the three largest markets: China, Germany and the United States. Important growth drivers for Mercedes-Benz unit sales in November were compact cars and SUVs, among other things due to new models such as the A-Class Saloon, the B-Class, the GLC and the GLE.
In the first eleven months of the year, Mercedes-Benz maintained its market leadership in the premium segment in markets including Germany, UK, France, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Poland, Denmark, Portugal, Turkey, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Thailand, Canada, Republic of South Africa and other markets.
“With convincing products and the impetus from our model offensive with compact cars and SUVs, we have started the year-end spurt with confidence. In November, we presented the Maybach GLS, the first SUV model from our exclusive Mercedes-Maybach brand. For our customers, the Mercedes-Maybach GLS combines the advantages of the popular GLS with the luxury of a high-end Saloon that Maybach customers are used to. Since the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Saloon was launched in 2015, more than 45,000 units of this model alone have been delivered to customers all over the world,”stated Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and of Mercedes-Benz AG responsible for Sales.
Mercedes-Benz unit sales by region and market
A total of 82,123 cars with the star were delivered in the Europe region in November (+0.1). Since the beginning of the year, unit sales in the region increased by 0.6%. In Germany, the region’s core market, Mercedes-Benz sold 30,872 vehicles last month (+5.8%). From January to November, unit sales by the Stuttgart-based company with the star in its domestic market were 5.1% higher than in the prior-year period. Deliveries in Switzerland, Poland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Portugal increased to a record level in November.
In the Asia-Pacific region, Mercedes-Benz set a new record in November with sales of 83,652 units (+11.0%). In the region’s core market, China, 57,901 customers were delighted to receive their new car with the star. This is the highest number of cars ever sold in a November by Mercedes-Benz in China and as well as double-digit growth (+11.0%). Since the beginning of the year sales, there have continued to be at record levels with 640,933 units (+6.3%). Since the beginning of the year, new sales records were also set in South Korea and Vietnam.
Deliveries in the NAFTA region increased last month by 7.7% to 38,601 units. Mercedes-Benz was able to deliver a total of 33,721 cars with the star in the core market of the USA in November and achieved significant growth of 8.7%. In addition, Mercedes-Benz was the highest-selling premium brand in the United States last month. For the first time in the year to date, the Stuttgart-based company with the star reversed its sales trend in the USA: unit sales increased by 0.7%. Deliveries by Mercedes-Benz in Canada increased by a double-digit percentage last month.
Mercedes-Benz S 500, selenitgrau metallic, Leder Exklusiv Nappa magmagrau/espressobraun;Kraftstoffverbrauch kombiniert: 6,6 l/100 km; CO2-Emissionen kombiniert: 150 g/km* Mercedes-Benz S 500, selenite grey metallic, exclusive nappa leather magma grey/espresso brown;fuel consumption combined: 6.6 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 150 g/km*
Mercedes-Benz unit sales by model
In the compact car segment, worldwide deliveries of around 61,500 vehicles last month reached a new high for a November (+9.8%). Since the beginning of the year, 607,600 units of the A- and B-Class, CLA Coupé, CLA Shooting Brake and GLA were delivered (+9.8%). This strong growth emphasizes the success of the current model offensive with compact cars. Last month, worldwide sales of the A-Class Saloon and the new B-Class, as well as the new CLA Coupé in Europe, made major contributions to the growth in sales of compact cars.
Sales last month of the S-Class Saloon increased by 2.6% to around 6,800 units worldwide. The S-Class Saloon was especially popular in the United States and South Korea. Global deliveries of the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Saloon also increased from January to November (+5.2%). In China, never before have so many Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Saloon been sold in the period from January to November as in 2019.
Sales of SUVs in November totalled around 76,300 units of the GLA, GLC, GLC Coupé, GLE, GLE Coupé, GLS and G-Class- an increase of 10.5% last month and a new November record. Strong double-digit growth was achieved by the GLC as well as the new GLE. Deliveries of the GLE is the German domestic market alone more than doubled compared to the previous year. The G-Class set a new record for sales in November with a double-digit increase of 20.2%.
From January to November, 105,600 vehicles of the smart brand were delivered worldwide (-10.9). Since the beginning of the year, unit sales in Europe were at the prior-year level. Unit sales continued to grow in Germany and France in the current year. The upgraded smart EQ for two (Combined power consumption: 16.5 – 14.0 kWh/100km I Combined CO2 emissions: 0g/km)* and for four (Combined power consumption: 17.3 – 14.6 kWh/100km I Combined CO2 emissions: 0g/km)* had their world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. They were available to order as of mid-November and are to be in the showrooms as of late January 2020.
DHL survey reveals that packaging will be in the spotlight over the next five years as companies and customers demand sustainable packaging materials and less waste
Fast-tracked e-commerce deliveries require the adoption of packaging optimization, automation, smart-packaging solutions and new conveniences to ensure the outstanding customer experience
DHL calls its customers and partners to collaborate on rethinking packaging to drive innovation in logistics operations.
DHL has released “Rethinking Packaging”, a new Trend Report that offers a comprehensive look at the future of packaging in the logistics industry. The report breaks down the trends accelerating the need to rethink packaging, how industries and their packaging needs are evolving, and provides insights on how packaging innovations will shape greener and more efficient logistics operations across all sectors.
Driven by globalization and e-commerce, the overall volume of products shipped is rising, and packages are travelling further through longer, more complex cross-border logistics networks. A survey conducted by DHL on its customers and partners shows that for nine out of 10 companies, packaging will play an important role in the next three to five years. Fast-tracked deliveries and increasingly popular subscriptions services result in frequent single-item shipments, contributing to more carbon emissions and packaging waste. The expanded variety of e-commerce products has led to new challenges in shipping and packaging. Surveyed customers see themselves confronted with maintaining a reasonable spend on packaging, the number of shipments damaged in transit, as well as optimizing the available transport capacity.
Demand for more sustainable shipping is driving new efforts to minimize waste, promote green materials, and implement convenient recovery systems. Leading retailers are answering these expectations by providing hassle-free and recyclable materials, capitalizing on the new opportunity to delight the customer with aesthetically pleasing accessible packaging features.
Matthias Heutger, SVP, Global Head of Innovation & Commercial Development, DHL, explains:“The Trend Report and our customer survey illustrate just how important easy, recyclable, and robust packaging is to overall positive customer experience. The acceleration of changing needs of companies, consumers, and the wider environment, however, increase costs and reduce effectiveness. We believe that the adoption of new packaging optimization tools, materials, and handling technologies will significantly boost efficiency and productivity. That in turn, will drive changes in the operation of supply chains and logistics processes.”
Across industries, increasing demands are being placed on the packaging. In the automotive and technology sectors, supply chains must evolve to accommodate growing volumes of delicate, high-value components. In healthcare, logistics professionals must ensure safe and compliant delivery of life-saving medicines and devices to hospitals, communities, and patients’ homes. As e-commerce usurps traditional retail, the package on the doorstep is now a critical touchpoint between consumers and brands.
Implications for the logistics industry
The logistics industry will play a key role in reducing the cost, inconvenience, and environmental impact of packaging. It must adopt new technologies, materials and processes across the value chain:
Packaging optimization Shipments that are not completely filled up are a major cause of product damage and detriment to cost and sustainability measures. Therefore, companies are introducing software that expertly calculates the best possible ratio of items, cartons, and pallets and then communicates the results directly to pickers. OptiCarton for example, DHL’s innovative package density optimization tool, maximizes carton and pallet space by more efficiently selecting and arranging packages based on size and weight.
Packaging automation Automated unloading processes, end-of-line packing and labelling systems, and collaborative robots to relieve the burden of seasonal packaging and hiring needs will enable companies to balance the growing e-commerce market with an ageing workforce.
Sustainable packaging material In the DHL customer survey, the majority of respondents said that the introduction of sustainable packaging materials is their number one near-future packaging priority. Research into green alternatives to plastic shrink wrap and single-use plastic envelopes, as well as sustainable groceries’ packaging is ramping up while at the same time, balancing cost and customer convenience is proving challenging for retailers.
Reusable packaging and reverse logistics The adoption of reusable materials and closed-loop recycling programs to eliminate waste has increased lately, some challenges however remain. Industries considering building an economically viable reusable packaging system need to think about required size of the packaging material pool, the design of systems for cleaning, inspecting and maintaining containers, and the cost, speed, and ease of use of reverse logistics processes.
Smart packaging Smart-packaging technologies such as smart labels or tags and last-mile product protection measures strengthen the connection between the customer, the supply chain, and the package via real-time updates on its condition and location.
The Trend Report demonstrates that the entire purpose of packaging has evolved. Reaching the next step in packaging performance will require close collaboration between supply chain experts, packaging specialists, and customers.
MTN Nigeria has selected six winners from the pool of competitors in it’s Academic Research and Development Innovative Challenge (ARDIC). A pitch session took place on Thursday, November 28, 2019, at the Nile University, Abuja, where ten finalists were given the opportunity to pitch their research work before a panel of seasoned technology and ICT experts and innovators.
Each winner was awarded a cash prize of one million naira to further their research. They will also benefit from six months incubation where they will be groomed and guided in transforming their ideas into practical solutions. Following the highly competitive pitch, the initiative officially launched in Abuja was attended by the company’s Chief Transformation Officer, MTN Nigeria, Olubayo Adekanmbi; Dr Abubakar Dahiru, Head of Special Projects, NITDA and Director, Research & Development Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Ephraim C Nwokonneya.
Adekambi had earlier shared that“MTN Nigeria believes that some of the solutions to the bottlenecks that currently exist on the continent, especially in Nigeria, can be solved through qualitative research and driving innovation. However, the academic community often hit a brick wall in translating their game-changing ideas to workable solutions.”
He reiterated that“ARDIC wants to tackle this gap and enable researchers to develop solutions that address some of our most pressing social problems.”
ARDIC is a partnership platform that will allow MTN to leverage its existing assets to enhance local innovation/research through an engagement system that provides enablement platforms, APIs, data, mentorship and experimental sandbox to well-motivated to postgraduate researchers who want to translate their research ideas into high-impact innovations.
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