FM Logistic India – Acclaimed Logistics Brand In Multi-client and Multi-Activity Warehousing Solutions Driven By Human Relations.
MD, FM Logistic India
Founded in France in 1967, FM Logistic is a family-owned independent logistics company active in 14 countries across Europe, Asia and Latin America (Brazil) and employs more than 28,000 people. An acclaimed 3PL service provider, FM Logistic India has presence in over 90+ locations and manages 5+ million ft2 of warehousing space. It provides Warehousing & Distribution Logistics services for the FMCG, Retail, Automotive, E-commerce, Engineering, Telecom, Pharma and other sectors.
FM Logistic entered India in 2016 by acquiring a majority stake in Spear Logistics. FM Logistic has brought to the corporation its international capability, recognition, advanced working tools and latest technologies.
Under the leadership of Alexandre Amine Soufiani (MD – FM Logistic India), the 4,000+ men and women in India provide customers with the global offer of warehousing, distribution, value-added & omnichannel services. FM Logistic India has a strong clientele that includes several blue-chip Indian and multi-national corporations. In India, FM Logistic has strengthened its position as a customer-centric 3PL service provider. FM Logistic India plans to strengthen its position in India by focusing on developing multi-client facilities (MCF) in the most important Indian Economic Zones. The 2 MCFs in Mumbai (extension in progress) and Delhi NCR (near Gurugram) are already operational.
FM Logistic has recently broke ground for its own MCF in India at Jhajjar, near Gurugram. This new A+ grade facility will be the first in India to combine LEED and FM Global Certification. With a built up area of 700,000 ft2 the Jhajjar MCF enjoys strategic access to Kundali, Manesar and Palwal expressways for faster connectivity to all major consumption centres in the North. The new MCF will have a storage capacity of 100,000 pallet positions and provide a dedicated area for co-packing and other value-added services. Furnished with best-in-class safety and security features, the MCF will offer cost efficient quality, storage and handling services. The construction of this facility will be supervised by NG Concept, the real estate sister company of FM Logistic.
To meet the increasing demands for product customization and compliance, FM Logistic India offers value-added warehousing services to help customers reduce their inventory. Their range of value-added services enable a variety of logistics delivery models that improve customer service while mitigating inventory and transportation costs.
Value-added services offered include kitting & de-kitting, pre-packing, co-packing and co-manufacturing, labelling & MRP stickering, bundling, customised packing and return customization. Mr. Soufiani, MD at FM Logistic India, has shared with us his perspective about the brand and its growth.
FM Logistic has inherited a culture of values and high standards from its predecessors in terms of skills and conduct within the company. The company culture is based on 3 values for working and succeeding together – trust, performance and openness. Through motivated men and women, these values come to life and contribute to the performance of the company by creating a positive working atmosphere and developing a feeling of pride and belongingness to the group. Nurturing these values also means demanding high standards.
"At FM Logistic India, we are very serious about our responsibility towards our employees. We recently launched a safety campaign, "Project Sifar- Zero Accidents", which is in accordance with the strict policy of safety and accident avoidance. We are committed towards avoiding workplace injuries due to unsafe acts and/or conditions and aim for Zero Accidents at the workplace."-Mr. Soufiani
Sustainability is in the heart of our DNA at FM Logistic. The company is also working on various initiatives for sustainable development like electric trucks, clean energy sources, reduction in plastic packaging material, etc. FM Logistic India is one of the few 3PL service providers to be associated with the United Nations Global Compact Network in India.
Diversity in the organisation fosters a more creative and innovative workforce. In 2019, the number of women co-workers doubled over last year's figures.
FM invests in innovation to offer logistics, transport and co-packing solutions that answer changing consumer demands.
Thus, it can be rightly asserted that diversity, sustainability and innovation are deeply rooted in FM Logistic's DNA.
FM Logistic India has an extremely strong clientele that includes several blue-chip Indian and multi-national corporations.
When FM Logistic commenced operation in France in 1967, Mars Chocolates was our first customer. Today, 53 years later, the association still stays strong and has extended to various locations where the chocolate manufacturer has operations. FM Logistic strives to establish and maintain strong and reliable partnerships. Atlas Copco was the first customer on-boarded by Spear Logistics. Atlas Copco continues to be our esteemed customer even after the acquisition. 70% of FM Logistic's clientele are the world leaders in their industries and markets.
The evolution of technology is pushing the boundaries and changing how the world does business by increasing productivity in the supply chain, minimizing costs and errors. Information, communication and automation technologies have substantially increased the speed of identification, data gathering, processing, analysis and transmission, with a high level of accuracy and reliability.
According to Mr Soufiani, "Automation in the logistic industry is growing more than ever before. I see a very positive trend in automation adoption for warehousing business in India."
Omni-channel Logistics – The next generation of business requires logistics networks to be tailored to the needs of every channel. Omni Channel services are the need of the hour and companies are realigning supply chains to cater to omnichannel from the same warehouses. FM Logistic India has successfully provided omni channel services to many customers in India. Mr. Soufiani asserts, "We have the required expertise and technological know-how in terms of IT modules that enable us to offer customized warehousing solutions to our clients."
Connected Life – Secured, real-time access to the consumer's ecosystem of connected devices can enable a variety of innovative pick-up and delivery services, as well as improved customer service support and valuable insight generation for logistics service providers. FM Logistic has implemented paperless operations with bar code scanning and GPS tracking at its warehouses. These are just the initial steps towards a long automation journey.
Green Energy Logistics – An increasing shift towards renewable or 'green' energy sources (solar, wind, etc.) is propelling the development of electric mobility and facility solutions for the logistics industry. FM Logistic India recently commissioned its first solar project at one of its warehouses for the largest industrial manufacturer.
Augmented Reality – Blurring the lines between the digital and physical worlds, augmented reality (AR) will provide new perspectives in logistics planning, process execution, and transportation. By adding virtual layers of contextual information onto a heads-up display or other digital devices, AR empowers workers by providing the right information at the right time and in the right place.
Globally, FM Logistic uses Augmented Reality to train warehouse staff on handling and operating complex processes with high levels of detail. The same technology is used to demonstrate capabilities to clients.
Internet of Things – The Internet of Things (IoT) has the potential to connect virtually anything to the internet and accelerate data-driven logistics. Everyday objects can now send, receive, process, and store information, and thus, actively participate in self- steering, event-driven logistics processes. In one of its warehouses for an e-commerce customer, FM Logistic India has implemented IOT solution which has enabled performance tracking of operators and identification of bottlenecks in the process using the data provided by connected scanners. The 3PL service provider is also in the process of implementing digital cockpit which will facilitate real time monitoring of driver behaviour.
Robotics & Automation – The first wave of automation using collaborative robotics has arrived in the logistics industry. Driven by rapid technological advancements and greater affordability, robotics solutions are entering the logistics workforce, supporting zero-defect processes and boosting productivity. Globally, this is a prime focus area for FM Logistic. In India, It has implemented drones for inventory control at one of its warehouses and they are in the process of getting this implemented across all warehouses. They have also implemented a fully automated packing line for various clients across India. Globally, FM Logistic deploys AGVs and Robots for various activities like loading, unloading, picking, palletizing, etc.
Under the leadership of Mr Soufiani, the FM team has been overcoming various challenges in the industry. Mr Soufiani emphasises that "The disorganized nature of the logistics sector in India, its perception as a manpower-heavy industry and lack of adequate training institutions has led to a shortfall in skilled management and client service personnel. Poor facilities and management are the reason for high levels of loss, damage and deterioration of stock, mainly in the perishables sector".
FM Logistic India has received several Logistics and Supply Chain Management awards that bear testament to the quality and focus that it brings to its customers. Its vision is to be recognized as the most dependable and responsive logistics service provider.
In this endeavour, it has achieved various milestones including achieving a YoY growth rate of 25%. In 2016, it managed around 2.5 million ft2 of warehousing space. In 2019, the space managed has significantly increased to 5.0+ million ft2. Today, FM Logistic India offers high-quality multi-client and multi-activity warehouses, close to the biggest consumption areas in India.
They ensure high quality with measurable quality deliverables backed with warehouses driven by KPIs and SOPs. FM Logistic has handled a large number of SKUs / lines from diverse industry sectors with inventory accuracy of above 99.99%. We handle more than ₹45 billion inventory and process 12 million lines per annum.
"I believe in the next 5 years FM Logistic India will consolidate its position by providing a global offer of end to end supply chain services, i.e. warehouse management, primary transportation & secondary distribution and value-added services. Our warehouses are equipped to offer omnichannel services: a combined solution for B2B & B2C channels from the same warehouse," asserts Alexandre Amine Soufiani.
To emerge as the market leader of contract logistics in India, the FM team synchronises every ingredient for success including their global expertise, long-term vision, skilled manpower, the trust of their clients, operational know-how, their ability to innovate, the strength of their new Multi-Client Warehouses, etc.
FM Logistic India is consistently striving to better serve its clients. They are committed to a demanding process of continuous improvement. This well-structured strategy encourages the FM team to bear customer satisfaction in mind while performing their day-to-day tasks. Questioning current practices to improve them is a core philosophy at FM Logistic. The FM clientele is aware of the fact that they can count on responsive, autonomous and responsible team that drives performance. The FM team has a clear vision to identify all the benefits of competitiveness along the supply chain to increase shared performance.
At FM Logistic India, They take their responsibility towards society earnestly and undertake several initiatives for the same.
FM Foundation : On its 50th anniversary in 2016, FM Group decided to reinforce its social responsibility by creating the FM Foundation. The objective of FM Foundation is to support, accompany and co-build social innovation projects, led by the employees of the Group, in the areas of education of underprivileged children. The FM Foundation encourages employees to participate in various social projects. FM Logistic India has also launched a Supervisor Development Program titled, "HamareSitare". As part of this initiative, eligible warehouse employees are promoted as Team Leaders.
Education, Employability and Livelihood Enhancement for Underprivileged Children: To equip the beneficiaries with the required skills for employability, provide educational scholarships and conduct certified logistics training at the FM Academy. The beneficiaries of this project aged between 18-25 years are mostly orphans; belong to single-parent families or children of sex-workers or convicts. The ideology for choosing this project as a part of FM Foundation is to transform lives through the continuous enhancement of knowledge and empowerment for the underprivileged children of the orphanage, SAMPARC, situated in Malavli near Pune, Founded in 1990, SAMPARC is a non-profit organization which offers Rehabilitation, Care, and Educational & Rural Development Services.
Helping Hand For Flood Relief: In 2019, several Indian states faced torrential rains leading to floods and colossal damage to livelihood and property and many were also rendered homeless. Sangli, a district in Maharashtra, was badly affected by the floods hence FM sent out its team members to Sangli to identify the most affected families in Sangli. The team identified the village of Sangaliwadi. The village received torrential rains in August 2019. The villagers had to be evacuated and shifted to nearby schools and colleges and FM undertook the initiative of helping to rehabilitate the villagers. FM donated grocery items to 165 families, utensils for 125 families, school kits to 350 schoolchildren of standards 1st to 4th.
Employee Welfare: The organisation is making consistent efforts towards ensuring that all employees have access to good working conditions in terms of hygenic working environment, welfare activities, adequate ventilation and lighting, etc.
With all the ingredients for success such a its global expertise, long term vision, skilled labour, the trust of the clients, operational know how, ability to innovate, the strength of its new multi client warehouses, etc, FM Logistic aims to emerge as the market leader of contract logistics in India. Moving ahead, FM Logistic India is planning to consolidate its position by providing a global offer of end-to-end supply chain services such as warehouse management, primary transportation & secondary distribution and value added services.
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