While Singapore Post (SingPost) has been around for over 150 years, the company is anything but outdated.
Today, most of its business comes from eCommerce. Yes, it’s not from stamps and mail.
It has been providing warehousing solutions to big names such as Lazada and Sephora. To support the rising demand from online retailers and e-marketplaces, SingPost opened a $182-million Regional eCommerce Logistics Hub in November 2016.
SingPost’s hub processes 19,000 parcels daily on average, and a whopping 40,000 during peak periods such as 11.11 and Black Friday sales.
How does it cope? Technology, technology, technology – we captured it all on camera during our recent tour with the newly reshuffled Future Economy Council (FEC) at the facility.
Greater Productivity with Automation
(Video Credit: Avelyn Ng) The picking system comes with lights and displays to signal to staff the location and quantity of the item needed, reducing the need for them to refer to packing lists and search for the items. After the item is retrieved, the packer presses a button on the specified tray to turn off the light, ensuring nothing has been missed out.
(Video Credit: Avelyn Ng) Cross-belt sorter has a capacity to sort up to 10,000 items per hour.
(Video Credit: Avelyn Ng) There are 150 loading bays for direct loading of parcels discharged from the chutes. Staff use scanners on their mobile with address and barcode recognition technology to enable more than 98 per cent automated processing.
About the Future Economic Council
The FEC chaired by Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat oversees the implementation of the recommendations by the Committee on the Future Economy and drives Singapore’s economic transformation through initiatives such as SkillsFuture and Industry Transformation Maps.
The council comprises members from Government, industry, unions, and educational and training institutions. Members were picked after consultations with the various stakeholders.
The new term of office, which started on 1 September 2018 saw an increase of two members to 33. Among them were 13 new faces, including National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng and NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Desmond Choo.
The new team met for the first time at the SingPost’s Regional eCommerce Logistics Hub tour on 16 November 2018.