Supermercados Covirán, the second-largest food distributor in Spain, has been a cooperative of food retailers servicing Spain, Portugal and surrounding areas since 1961. The cooperative needed a solution to help them make the successful transition from primarily a cash-and-carry operating model to distribution. With a logistics partner, the co-op explored more efficient picking support technologies and chose Honeywell Voice and its rugged and ergonomic headsets, microphones and intelligent voice synthesizers. The move enabled its DC workers to enjoy hands-free, eyes-free picking while providing the technology infrastructure to support the company’s new business model.
The move is the latest example of the declining importance of Jet, a business Walmart paid $3.3 billion to acquire in 2016 to reach urban millennials and gain the services of co-founder Marc Lore, who has taken over Walmart’s U.S. e-commerce operations.
Varieties favored by some high-end suppliers like Stumptown Coffee Roaster or Nestle SA’s Blue Bottle are surging in price — and that’s reaching consumers.
Everywhere you turn these days, there’s a blockchain pilot underway for the supply chain. But they’re all missing one crucial element: a single, coherent set of standards.