Digitization and Benefits in DHL Supply Chain Process

This report discusses the selected business process within DHL, focusing on the supply chain management process. It explores the main activities, decisions, and the potential benefits of digitization in improving the process. The report also highlights the role of information/data management systems and the databases required to support the process. Additionally, it investigates the application of big data analytics tools in enhancing the business process.

Business & Management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY.............................................................................................................................3
TASK1.......................................................................................................................................3
1.1 The selected business process in a process map to identify its main activities and the
sequence of them....................................................................................................................3
1.2 the main decisions being made in this process and discuss the required inputs and
outputs of each decision.........................................................................................................5
1.3 Discuss how the selected process, or some part of it, can be digitised and may benefit
from digital transformation....................................................................................................5
TASK2.......................................................................................................................................6
2.1 Identify how information/data management systems can help running the business
process that you have analysed in task 1. Specifically focus on two information systems
(e.g., sales and human resource) and explain the main purposes and functions of them.......6
2.2 Identify what databases are needed to be attached to (and support) the information
systems that you identified in 2.1. Explain what data (e.g., product records, production
plan, and consumer information) are required to be stored by them.....................................6
2.3 Discuss what big data may mean for your selected business process and its information
systems. Accordingly, investigate the application of big data analytics tools in the context
of the selected business process.............................................................................................7
TASK3.......................................................................................................................................8
3.1 Explore the opportunities for intelligent tools and systems to be employed for your
selected business process. Explain what exactly can be expected from an intelligent tool to
do for that specific business process......................................................................................8
3.2 Discuss how the suggested intelligent tool can support the business, its
competitiveness, its consumers, or its other stakeholders......................................................8
3.3 Discuss and reflect on the implications of the suggested intelligent tool(s) to a wider
areas or aspect of the business...............................................................................................9
CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES.........................................................................................................................11
Books and journals...............................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Business process can be defined as a system which involves a particular way to work
on the projects assigned within the business. In context of the current time there are a number
of business processes which are followed by the organisation to achieve the results. This
report is based on DHL International. It is a German international postal, parcel delivery, and
express mail provider operated by Deutsche Post. Any year, the corporation ships over 1.5
billion packets. In 1969, the company was born in the United States, and by the late 1970s, it
had extended its operation all over the world. DHL Air Cargo joined the Hawaiian Islands in
1979 with an inter-island cargo operation using two DC-3 and four DC-6 aircraft under the
code DHL Air Cargo (Chang, 2016). In context of the present report it includes the
discussion about the selected business process within DHL and flowchart which identify the
activities and the sequence. DHL Supply Chain is a subsidiary of Deutsche Post DHL and a
DHL affiliate. Deutsche Post employs 510,000 workers and is headquartered in Bonn. In
2016, DHL Supply Chain largely competed in the strategic markets of life sciences and
healthcare, automotive, and technology. As China, India, and Mexico become major car and
parts producers, the automobile industry has shifted its Lead Logistics Provider (LLP) service
to them. The major focus will be paid on route, delivery route, delivery process. This also
includes discussion about use of digitalization in a particular process within the chosen firm.
Along with this, there is discussion about how the information and data management system
can be implemented in the organisation. In last there is discussion about the use of
intelligence tool and system within an organisation to improve the business process and
achieve results in desired manner.
MAIN BODY
TASK1
1.1 The selected business process in a process map to identify its main activities and the
sequence of them.
A business procedure, business system, or business operation is a set of connected,
organised operations or tasks performed by people or equipment in a particular sequence to
deliver a service or product for a specific customer or customers (serves a specific business
goal). Business operations take place at various stages of an enterprise and may or may not be

apparent to consumers. DHL International (DHL) is a German international postal, parcel
delivery, and express mail provider operated by Deutsche Post. Any year, the corporation
ships over 1.5 billion packets. This article would include a discussion of a business firm's
supply chain network. This is a deliberately chosen process that serves as the business's
backbone. A supply chain is the web of people, organisations, services, practises, and
technologies involved in the production and distribution of a commodity. Anything from the
delivery of source products from the producer to the retailer to the final delivery to the end
customer is used in a supply chain.
There are number of functions include in the process of supply chain in DHL. Some pf these
are discussed below:
Raw material: Raw material act as a primary system within the functions performed
by DHL. Under this, the main raw material of organisation are the products which are
supplied by the other organisation in order to transfer from one place to another. Raw
material can be defined as a process material primary commodity or a basic material that is
used in order to finish the task. This is a primary part of supply chain process which is used
by DHL in order to perform its function.
Inbound logistic: Inbound logistics can be defined as a transport storage and delivery
of the goods combining into a business (Kolk and Rivera-Santos, 2018). Inbound and
outbound logistics combined with the field of supply chain management as a manager six to
maximize the reliability and efficiency of a particular distribution network in order to
maximise the storage and transport cost.
Outbound logistic: Outbound logistics can be defined as that part of transportation
storage and delivery system that bring the product to the customer. Under the logistic
company bring the raw material into the business and outbound logistics more the finished
product to the destination. It is the primary function of DHL to distribute the finished goods
to the customers so that they can use their products and services.

Warehouse: Warehouses are that storing unit which store the goods and services
supplied by a producer to the organisation DHL and then DHL transfer this product to the
customer. In order to store the products between this transit organisations you some kind of
storage it is known as warehouses.
Return: This is the last part of the process within the supply chain. This arises when
customer is not present in order to take the delivery of the product and the sales person or the
transporter within DHL has to return the product to the warehouses of the organisation and
then returned to the supplier.
This is the whole process of supply chain within DHL which act as a main part of the
organisation working.
1.2 the main decisions being made in this process and discuss the required inputs and outputs
of each decision.
It can be identified that there are different parts within the supply chain management
process of DHL (Jackson and Jaspersen, 2018). It is essential for the organisation to maintain
effectiveness in each and every part as well as printed an appropriate amount of coordination
so that business firm can achieve its objectives and can transfer product from one place to
another. Order to bring an appropriate system it is required by the firm to make effective
decisions regarding the process of supply chain and transfer the product from one place to
another. There are different inputs and outputs which are required to strengthen the supply
chain system where the primary input is training and development of staff, creation of
appropriate hiring process, providing effective solution, limitation of information system and
increasing the use of digital tools. This will help in generating appropriate output via
company can increase the profitability and productivity level of the staff as well as achieve
better results by implementing all these inputs. Consider how fast DHL suppliers can
transport orders after they're done to enhance supply chain efficiency. Operating a global
supply chain with a supplier halfway around the globe may not be efficient if a firm runs a
lean supply chain where it orders only modest volumes at a time. A closer local provider
could be a better option because the company won't have to worry about extended lead times
if its demand forecasting is inaccurate. A number of inputs and outputs are needed to improve
the supply chain, including the main inputs of staff education and development, the building
of an acceptable process for employment, the offer of effective solutions, information system
limitations and the extension of the use of digital technologies. The company can create

adequate production, increase profitability and workforce productivity and achieve higher
results using all of these inputs.
1.3 Discuss how the selected process, or some part of it, can be digitised and may benefit
from digital transformation.
Digitalization can be defined as use of digital technology in the process of business in
order to bring easiness within the functions and performing the task in more appropriate way.
In reference to DHL, company can also implement digitalisation on some selected parts of
the supply chain process. Firstly, DHL can implement digital technology in warehouse. This
can be used by implementing a digital technology within warehouses in order to record the
transactions as well as keeping products within their warehouse. Well digitalised record will
help in identifying the related information and reducing the manual errors in order to store the
inventory, return products and final products. Digital technology can also implement on
outbound logistics in the process of supply chain (Kourula, A., Pisani and Kolk, 2017). Under
this common management in DHL can use to Mark location of its supplying vehicles as well
as use GPS in order to track each and every activity. This will help in reducing the time taken
by transportation as well as recording each and every transaction and appropriate ways.
Measures to assist the DHL system in the long run are vital. A solid method to achieve so is
by proactive action to guarantee system stability in altering business and financial
circumstances throughout time. Keep in mind that reactive approaches are likely to disrupt,
delay and sometimes even shut down the system. Being proactive can protect your company
against such unwanted problems.
TASK2
2.1 Identify how information/data management systems can help running the business
process that you have analysed in task 1. Specifically focus on two information systems (e.g.,
sales and human resource) and explain the main purposes and functions of them.
Information data system support and help the company to enhance and increase the
decision making power at the organisation. This system also support or help to the company
to get planned or prepared the data on each domain of the organisation because as it provides
back ground , trend analysis and current data (Lee and Saunders, 2017). Data management
system helps the organisation to accomplish and achieve their competitive advantages of the

business by effective decision making. This also helps in analysing and evaluating business
information or data in order to facilitate the estimation of strategic alternatives. From past
few years sales department and Human resources management team has faced several
important transformation. Extreme use of information system has Deep Impact on the way
human resources management is handle now a days full stop it will help the company and it
will upgrade major and effective transformation of human resources management system and
practices within the DHL organisation. In few years Information Technology has create
several impact on every aspect of the society and on the organisation including HRM process
and sales practices. Information system on data management system will help the company to
raise the efficiency of human resources management department or efficiency of sales
department by the use of more effective strategies that recruitment methods promotional
strategies organisational communication engagement of the employees and increased skills of
HR manager. It will also help the company to provide appropriate and relevant information
about the Strategies and about the data.
2.2 Identify what databases are needed to be attached to (and support) the information
systems that you identified in 2.1. Explain what data (e.g., product records, production plan,
and consumer information) are required to be stored by them.
The aim of an information system is to transform a information in order to develop or made
knowledge that can be utilised for the effective decision making programs. The system must
be capable to initiate or grant the data and put the data into that type of contact and creators
equipment’s for analysis and examination (Maclean, Harvey and Clegg, 2017). A database is
in a well-managed and systematic collection of related information. All information or data in
a database are required to relate and separate the database. There are few database which are
required to attach the information system for leave required for DHL company to understand
analyse the data structure and the amount of the quantity of the data that will required to store
in the speed of the requirements after that the company are required to model the data in
order to identify if a relational graph document database is most appropriate for the database.
For collecting and dragging the customer information it is much required for the company to
create a database about the product records in which the variety of the products are included
after that the company are required to make production plans in which the resources the
budget and the quantities which are required to make a product and after that they are
required to make consumers information means what are their needs requirements and their
tastes according to that they can customise their product or services to the customers so that

they can create battery and use customer base and get more opportunity towards the
company. This will help them to get several kinds of opportunity and to satisfy their
customer.
2.3 Discuss what big data may mean for your selected business process and its information
systems. Accordingly, investigate the application of big data analytics tools in the context of
the selected business process.
The term big data includes managing the database and data sets so huge and complex that
traditional processing application software is inadequate to manage and capture and process
the information within a reasonable time of amount stopped big data is applied for predict
and behaviour of the user (Maylor, Blackmon and Huemann, 2016). In context of supply
chain management the big data play the important role because supply chain network is a
huge network that that include several kinds of function in DHL company like raw material
inbound logistics outbound logistics warehouse return and many more so it's very required
for the company to involve big data if there procedure. As big data help the company to
improve the efficiency of the company and also help them to boost their sales and retain
customer loyalty. This also helps them to focus on the local environment and control and give
you their online reputation in order to get more opportunities and customer satisfaction
towards the company. Big data improve the effectiveness of the risk management models and
also develop smarter strategies so that companies can grow in the market with more
effectiveness. Big data continues support the company to update their existing goods while
innovating something new services in context of DHL company big data provide several
innovative techniques and strategies to provide better services for the customers.
TASK3
3.1 Explore the opportunities for intelligent tools and systems to be employed for your
selected business process. Explain what exactly can be expected from an intelligent tool to do
for that specific business process.
Intelligence tool can be defined as the technology which was adopted by the organisation in
order to bring smoothness within the functioning as well as reduce the manual errors in a
particular process. In context of DHL it is a supply and transport organisation where
company used to transport the product from one place to another. Business Intelligence

Software enables supply chain managers and other teams and individuals involved in
components of the supply chain to produce reports and customised dashboards and alerts to
set objectives and KPI for supply chain management and for monitoring shipments and
company systems. Therefore, DHL can implement smart tool in its supply chain process. It
can be implemented on the where of function of DHL. Here are the smart intelligent tool will
be automation in warehouses. Company will bring automation in warehouses which will help
in reducing the threats related to theft, manual error loss and damage. This is a beneficial
system as is expected to work ok to bring automation in working of organisation. This
automation is proportional to improvisation in supply chain and warehousing system
(Mingers and Yang, 2017). This system and appropriate artificial intelligence system will be
installed which work on bringing inventory inside and outside the warehouses. It is expected
to keep record of each and every transaction in appropriate manner as well as providing
information to the essential stakeholder.
3.2 Discuss how the suggested intelligent tool can support the business, its competitiveness,
its consumers, or its other stakeholders
It can be identified the suggested intelligent tool which is based on optimisation within the
organisation will help in achieving competitiveness within the organisation. This will help
DHL in meeting a competitive advantage the market where it is trading.
Competitiveness
Employees have more flexibility to spend on product creation and operation management
because company processes are more effective thanks to automation. This ensures that
businesses will outpace their competitors in terms of product creation and delivery of
products and services to consumers (Myers, 2019). Automation reduces costs associated with
manual data entry and physical storage by replacing paper-based operations with automated
ones. Companies will spend this capital in strategic technology acquisitions to achieve a
major competitive edge.
Consumers
To keep up with the bulk of customer transactions, advertisers and salespeople will have to
do less physical labour. It will help DHL in develop more intimate relationships, save time
and resources, and improve the customer experience. To achieve a comparative advantage,
businesses use better customer service. It is important for company to build and maintain
good ties with suppliers, particularly crucial suppliers. The company probably has quarterly

assessments, but the company is moving considerably quicker. Market intelligence alerts to
changes in the management, acquisitions, disposals, gains and losses for customers,
operations, and other events having a significant influence on the capacity of a delivery
provider. Automating consumer questions is a simple way to provide much-needed answers
and solutions while freeing up support personnel for tasks that need human intervention.
Stakeholders
The system is also useful in order to ensure the safety and security of stakeholders as well as
work in contacts of stakeholders within the organisation. This will help the stakeholders in
gaining maximum advantage where the effective working will enable them to increase
profitability and their share within the dividend for the major stakeholders which get benefit
from this will b customers suppliers manager of the company and many other. This will help
all the stakeholders as it will reduce the chances of error which indirectly help in boosting
profit by decreasing the losses. The cost of organisation as optimisation in DHL will bring
better management and improve profitability (Sadgrove, 2016) .
3.3 Discuss and reflect on the implications of the suggested intelligent tool(s) to a wider areas
or aspect of the business
Security issues: there are a number of security issues which will be resolved by this
optimisation system within the organisation. This can be identified as by implementing the
atomization system in DHL form can easily remove the threats of theft and damage of
products by manual error. This will also improve the security of the products and services
sold by the organisation are delivered by the DHL to one place to another (Tien, 2019)s. This
is because it keeps the record of each and every transaction as well as promotes use of digital
technology within the firm which will help in managing security of products and services.
Employment/unemployment consequences: by the increased use of optimisation within
DHL the issue related to employment and unemployment will increase. This is because the
digitalization will decrease the opportunities for human force which lead to unemployment.
This will also reduce the number of employees required in the to manage the warehouses
within DHL.

CONCLUSION
It can be concluded from the above mentioned information that DHL is a global
performing organisation where supply chain management act as an essential process within
the firm. Bringing digitalization to the organisation is useful to meet the needs and perform
the task effective manner. Using a smart business intelligence tool will also help in boosting
the performance of the process and improving the supply chain management by bringing
automation to the organisational function.

REFERENCES
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