Issue 1, October 2021
As an essential component of the global economy, the supply chain faces unprecedented change. The pandemic pushed its boundaries, exposing its vulnerabilities and highlighting the necessity of this lifeline we depend on every day. Sitting at the center of today’s supply chain are visionaries ready to identify the opportunities across all aspects of logistics.
To showcase these leaders’ work on the future state of the global supply chain, we are introducing our new digital publication, GROUNDBREAKERS.
In our inaugural issue, you’ll meet some of today’s most influential thought leaders who are tapping into groundbreaking approaches to redefine global logistics. These leaders have risen to the pinnacle of their fields by innovating, investing and managing during times of radical change, turning the most formidable demand in history into an extraordinary opportunity.
We are proud to share their stories and achievements, which revolve around five important themes.
1.
Commerce is developing at a ferocious pace, driven by customers who expect less and less time to pass between clicking “buy” online and picking up packages at their doorstep. Although chaotic and stressful, this type of evolution brings opportunity.
Our inaugural list features 14 of the most notable gamechangers to emerge over the last several years in the logistics and commerce space. They are the individuals who will help—if they don’t already—move the needle forward on the global economy. It’s people like corporate disruptor Carol Tomé, CEO of UPS, to retail trailblazer Gayle Tait of Trove, a burgeoning circular shopping market pioneer.
2.
Saving this planet’s environment is more than just a moral imperative these days, especially when you consider that commercial real estate accounts for more than a third of the planet’s energy consumption. Companies that embrace more efficient, environmentally friendly and sustainable building design and operational features not only reduce their carbon footprint but also help stave off environmental disasters as a result. Plus, by reducing costs, they can increase profits. We walk you through the problem, how people are solving it all over the world and what one innovative company is doing.
3.
The story of how technology is changing our workforce is a complex one. Today, robotics, artificial intelligence and machine learning are all helping make logistics space more efficient and speed up fulfillment. They are also lightening the load and making it a safer environment for their human counterparts. Our story Dancing with Robots will examine how humans interact with machines in modern distribution centers, shedding light on the seriousness of upskilling the workforce.
4.
Some experts speculate the U.S. may need more than 1 billion square feet (about twice the area of the island of Manhattan) of additional warehouse space by 2025 to support fast-growing e-commerce demand. We examine the future of commerce and how changing consumer buying habits, the need for speed and variety, and digitization has created a lot of complexity and competitive advantage in the supply chain and turned the distribution center into a serious asset.
5.
Lastly, we take you inside the modern distribution center, which is changing from a manufacturing model to one more centered around consumption—asking how modern-day facilities compare (design, employees, technology, etc.) to those of yesterday.
We know there are many more trends and trendsetters transforming the current and future logistics environment and the global supply chain. We can’t wait to share these stories with you in our next issue.
Chairman and CEO, Prologis