Individual Reflection by Karen

LOM juniors went to ALB to have an experience on what a warehouse really is and also to fully understand many things that we’ve learnt in DCM.

It did catch my attention when it was revealed in the corporate ALB video that the public sector – referring to the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) – outsourced its logistical activities to the private sector Singapore Technologies Logistics Pte Ltd (STL).

I understand that SAF has extremely high sensitive inventories of which majority are not for the commoners eyes. However, the fact it awarded STL with the contract clearly shows the exceptional amount of trust it has on the service provider.

This has taught me that trust is one of the factors which are vital in ensuring high customer service and satisfaction in the warehousing industry.

The tour around the warehouse was really exciting and also an eye opener for most of us. What really caught my attention was the importance of safety of employees. I mean, of course safety is important, but I never knew of the measures warehouses take.

At the mobile racking system, I stepped into the racking area while the racks were moving and the whole thing stopped operating immediately. There was a sensor that detected me going into the racks. This sensor is placed to avoid any casualties at the work place.

Measures taken to ensure employees safety were also seen at the vertical carousels, which stops moving when someone just puts a hand in the carousel. These measures taken were truly amazing.

When we arrived at the warehouse, we assumed the warehouse had a U-flow layout. It was not until that end of the trip that we realized the warehouse has actually adopted the through-flow, as goods-in and goods-out areas were at opposite sides of the warehouse

All in all the trip was enjoyable and educational, and it definitely aided me in understanding DCM better.