Oman Logistics Centre (OLC) in collaboration with Ejaad — the virtual collaborative platform where industry, academia and government engage in applied research — have successfully conducted a logistics-focused workshop for over 50 stakeholders.
The workshop focused on Business Technology Mapping (BTM), a process that aims to identify technical challenges within selected areas and match them to fit-for-purpose and feasible technological solutions to help the companies participating.
For the workshop, the three areas selected were: cold chain management, ports technology, and e-commerce, most notably “last mile delivery” – all identified by the participating companies as requiring in-depth focus and technological support to enhance competitiveness and operational efficiency.
Within these areas, attendees jointly evaluated the technical challenges they face across energy efficiency and consumption, preservation of goods, avoidance of product damage or spoilage and discussed areas where digital systems would be impactful.
The workshop then classified all of the challenges into three groups: those that have off-the-shelf solutions, those requiring further research and development that can be supported by local academic institutions through Ejaad’s E-platform and those that require sector-wide collaborative efforts or government intervention.
The workshop was successful in its aim to stimulate the logistics industry to work together to identify common goals and challenges across the sector leading to a reduction in costs, enhancement of operations, build local capabilities and explore new opportunities across a vital pillar of Oman’s economy.
Ejaad will follow up with the stakeholders present, continuing to show them the value of research and development, commission projects and support the implementation of solutions identified.
The workshop followed an MoU signing between Ejaad and OLC last week, which defined their scope of collaboration as they begin to develop the Oman Centre of Excellence in Logistics. Following the agreement, the two organisations will work together to ensure that research and development is front and centre of Oman’s logistics companies, ensuring the Sultanate’s offering remains world-class.
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