According to Avishkar Srivastava, Chief Innovation Officer, The PDP Group, “Digitalisation can not only enhance efficiency but also lead to a happier workplace.” He urges logistics companies to not look at digitalisation as a quick fix but instead to approach digitalisation as a constant upgradation process which will transform the business and give long lasting returns.
According to you, why digital integration has become crucial?
Digitalisation has probably been the most talked about topic in 2020. With the government’s initiatives of promoting paperless modes of working and cashless transactions, the industry has acknowledged that digitalisation is indeed the future. Having said that, it has mostly been the big corporates who have heavily invested to move to an integrated cloud-based ERP system. The awareness regarding the need to digitalise is still in the nascent stages when it comes to MSME logistics companies.
Could you please share how PDP Group is boosting productivity?
If a logistics company is in the industry for the long run, then digitalisation of working processes is not a luxury but a requirement. In our company, we had reviewed our working systems and uncovered a common trend. Despite having a very satisfied and proactive workforce as well as strong in-house infrastructure, we were unable to fully utilise our potential due to dependency on manual modes of working. Reliance on individual employees was also quite high due to non-centralised methods of working. Our visionary leader, Pramod Kumar Srivastava, was always looking for ways to boost productivity by embracing digitalisation. That was the driving force behind our switch to an integrated cloud-based platform.
Today we have integrated our various services to an integrated digital mechanism. This has greatly enhanced our efficiency by eliminating duplication of work and creating a seamless flow across the different service offerings. We often find logistic players appreciating digitalisation from a distance but when it comes to adoption, there is resistance due to the cost.
However, it’s high time MSME logistics companies look at digitalisation as an investment with high returns. Not only has digitalisation helped in making our processes more transparent, but we have also seen employee morale go up as they are no longer spending hours updating excel sheets and filing manual paperwork. Information is available at the fingertips on our online cloud portal, enabling real-time data exchange.
Recently, ‘The PDP Group’ was presented with ‘Digital Samurai’ award for its unique digital practices which are not commonly seen in MSME supply chain companies. I would urge other logistic companies to not look at digitalisation as a quick fix but instead to approach digitalisation as a constant upgradation process which will transform the business and give long lasting returns. In today’s world, employees are looking for meaningful job roles
where they can learn new things on a regular basis and understand how their work contributes to the company’s value proposition. Customers also appreciate customised digital reports which are generated in real-time as it adds authenticity and enhances brand value.
We have been providing complete end-to-end supply chain solutions including freight forwarding, customs clearance, warehousing, transportation, and cargo handling operations. It consists of three companies — PDP International, Allied ICD Services, and P. D. Prasad & Sons. The Group has been constantly upgrading its digital systems to adopt a cloud-based integrated infrastructure.
