Report of Toyota at 2012 Forum on Pearl River Delta Logistics Cooperation

On June 28, 2012 Forum on Pearl River Delta Logistics Cooperation, which was held by China Logistics Information Center and sponsored by Toyota Material Handling (Shanghai) Co., Ltd (TMHS) was open in Guangzhou Oriental Resort. More than 130 professionals and experts in logistics industry from Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Bawang International, Shenzhen SINOCEAN Shipping Co., Ltd. and Zhongcheng gathered on this forum to communicate with each other about the development of logistics industry.

With the theme of “Discussions on Regional Hub City Logistics Distribution System”, the forum probed into the difficulties and predicaments that the logistics industry, pharmaceutical industry and apparel industry in regional hub cities had been faced with. Among these topics, how to solve the high logistics cost and how to improve the competitive force became the focus of all these industries. Aiming at these questions, Toyota Material Handling (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (TMHS) put forward professional solutions for cost optimization based on the related experiences of the company in these years, and conducted deep discussions and communications with the guests on the forum through giving thematic speech, brain storming and taking part in the forklift demonstrations.

During the communications on the theme of this forum, Vice General Manager Matsumoto and Mr. Deng Yu from TMHS gave the speech with the topic of Analysis on Cost Optimization and Efficiency Improvement in Warehouse Logistics. Starting from analyzing the cost structure of warehouse logistics and seeing from three main types of costs such as human resource, space and damage, they introduced specific thoughts on realizing the optimization of different types of costs from the angle of how to conduct 4S on-site improvement, how to choose the most suitable storing way and the ideal material handling equipment based on Toyota manufacturing experiences.

Then in the part of brain storming how to improve the capacity of enterprises’ supply chains, Manager of Toyota International Network-China Chen Lei introduced the concept products and front-edged cases Toyota learned from Europe and America, and demonstrated the way of Toyota to improve the warehouse logistics by using advanced technologies through videos. According to him, Toyota applied AOP voice-activated system, through which the workers in the warehouse would receive the information and deliver the orders through ear phones to realize wireless control on automatic warehouse equipments such as stackers and pallet trucks, ensuring more intelligent, fast and precise warehouse operation. 

In AMB Guangzhou Development Zone Logistics Center, Toyota represented the operation site of common warehouses, in which forklifts for demonstration including BT electric pallet truck, BT electric stacker, Toyota 8TB50 electric tractors and Toyota 8 series of electric forklifts were set respectively in material receiving area, packing area, storing area and departing area according to different operation types. Manager of Sales Department Miyato, Vice manager of Planning Department Li Difei and the forklift operators from TMHS demonstrated each part of material handling in warehouses through driving the forklifts on the site, to present the guests vividly with the thoughts of reducing costs and improving efficiency. They put forward several solutions such as unified management of pallets, maximization of space utility rate and improvement of horizontal handling process from the perspective of enhancing the operation ways and choosing the optimized equipment solutions. Iconic solutions and on-site demonstrations attracted the attentions of all the guests. After the demonstration, the guests gathered around the forklifts and enquire the information of the equipment from the salesmen of Toyota. Besides the concerns on the forklift products, lots of guests also showed their expectations to cooperate with Toyota to experience the on-site logistics diagnosis and improvement solutions.