Abstract

The case “Flipkart’s Move toward Automated Supply Chain Management” talks about the adoption of automation technology by leading Indian e-commerce company Flipkart Online Services Pvt. Ltd. (Flipkart) in its supply chain to make its delivery process faster with fewer errors and improve its competitive strength. The case describes the circumstances that led Flipkart to adopt automation in its warehouse and order fulfillment operations. It then elaborates on the various measures taken by the company as a part of its automation implementation. The case delves into the impact of automation on the operational and financial performance of the company. It ends with a brief look at the future prospects of automation in the supply chain of e-commerce companies.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Analyze the factors that lead a company to undertake automation in its supply chain
• Study the supply chain processes that can be automated in an e-commerce company
• Examine the impact of automation on the operations of an e-commerce company

Keywords

Flipkart; Order Fulfillment; Supply Chain Management; Retail Management; Operations Management; Automation; Indian E-Commerce Industry; Inventory Management; Warehouse Management System (WMS); Cost Management; Same-Day-Delivery (SDD); Next-Day-Delivery (NDD); Business Models; Goods-to- person technology; Demand Fluctuations