Supply chains are the lifelines of all critical supplies for the existence of all societies. Efficient supply chain services cater to the needs of not only the producers but also the consumers and take a holistic and integrated approach towards management. If operations across different geographies are cooperating and communicating in synergy, this only makes the supply chains more effective.
There is no doubt about the importance of the role that supply chain service providers play in the smooth functioning of any industry. Having a strong supply chain enhances your business prospects and sustainability. Both producers and distributors are satisfied when the proper product in the correct quantity is delivered in a timely manner. Bottom line, we need reliable supply chain service providers for the smooth functioning of society.
Fortunately, there is a steadfast and credible supply chain service provider in India that pioneers developing and operating large-scale shared warehouses for its customers and is on a mission to take India to the helm of the global supply chain industry with its reliable, cost-effective, and innovative solutions. It is the one and only AAJ Enterprises Pvt. Ltd!
We, at the Insights Success Magazine, are honoured to bring to you an exclusive interview that we conducted with the team over at AAJ Enterprises.
Here’s an excerpt from the interview:
Please describe to us AAJ in detail.
AAJ Enterprises is India’s leading supply-chain services provider. With a humble beginning in 2010, we now pioneer in developing and operating large scale and shared warehouses for customers through our researched investments in state-of-the-art infrastructure and technology along with modern material handling equipment, resulting in zero CapEx costs for our clients. Our customised and in-house Warehouse Management System (WMS) allows for integration with other ERP systems resulting in ease of data interchange while providing advanced warehouse management functionalities.
We, at AAJ, follow a value-driven customer-centric approach and believe in continuous innovation of warehouse processes and technology to provide our clients with top-notch supply chain services. Over the last 10 years, we have achieved a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 26% in revenue and 30% in warehousing space. This has been only possible due to our values of ensuring customer delight, maintaining integrity, creating a joyful place of work for employees and focusing on technology-driven solutions.
What made you venture into the industry you are catering to?
Our Chairman, Mr Anil Kumar Jain started his professional journey in 1983 through the paper trade business. By 1995, he was the sole paper supplier in two of the top publishing companies in India. By 2000, he ventured into third-party warehouse management with a 30,000 sq. ft. warehouse in UP. We undertook various warehousing projects through the publishing network that we developed and eventually expanded into a diversified clientele. With Amazon and Flipkart taking over the country by storm, we realised that we had expertise and value to offer to logistics networks as our clients appreciate our commitment to providing them with a seamless, flexible, and transparent. Our values and vision aligned with our goals have helped us successfully venture into this competitive industry.
What kind of offerings do you provide to your clients?
We are one of India’s leading third-party logistics (3PL) and Warehousing Management organizations. We aim to optimising our clients’ supply chains to provide improved flexibility, scalability, and visibility at all levels.
Our service offerings include:
- Warehousing and Distribution
- eCommerce Fulfilment
- Transportation Management (Last-Mile)
- Returns Management
- Modern Warehousing Systems & Infrastructure
- Supply Chain Consultation and Advisory
These service offerings resultingly provide a reduction in costs, accuracy, flexibility, and scalability through our innovative technology and state-of-the-art infrastructure.
What kind of challenges have you faced while entering into the industry you are catering to?
Venturing into the logistics and transportation industry, we faced challenges in terms of reducing transportation costs, improving our warehousing and business processes to create a seamless experience for our clients while also maintaining a competitive edge due to intense competition. Since supply chains have become longer and complex, customer expectations have substantially improved with respect to delivery times and service quality.
We had to focus on enhancing customer service and improving visibility in the workflow of our warehouses. Adopting innovative and advanced technology has become imperative in this decade due to the fast-moving and dynamic business environment. With the introduction of our green warehouse, we also made efforts to overcome sustainability challenges. Our values of customer delight, integrity, ensuring a joyful place of work and technology-driven solutions helped us face these challenges with utmost sincerity and dedication.
What would you like to advise the young generation of entrepreneurs and enthusiasts?
I would like to advise the young generations of aspiring entrepreneurs and enthusiasts to believe in themselves and their potential to do greater things. I’d request them to keep challenging themselves, have a growth mindset and consistently look for opportunities in life because you may never know how a single moment or opportunity can shape the rest of your life path. Be passionate about you what you do, always believe in the beauty of your dreams and never stop learning.
Where do you envision AAJ to be in the long run and what are your future goals? How do you plan to embrace the changes happening in your respective industry?
We envision building an organisation that takes India to the helm of the global supply chain network with our reliable, cost-effective, and innovative solutions. Our future goals include rapid growth of our current client base along with warehouse expansion while ensuring customer satisfaction, maintaining our state-of-the-art infrastructure by constantly innovating and leveraging breakthrough technologies. We’re also working on expanding our transportation service portfolio incorporating a wider variety of solutions for businesses to help in their supply chain optimisation. Apart from this, we also have our in-house WMS software developed by our IT team which is going to be marketable soon, giving businesses an option to incorporate it in their own warehouses.
As there lies an opportunity in adversity, we believe in embracing the trends and threats in our industry, like the E-commerce revolution for which we’re providing promising start-ups with end-to-end eCommerce fulfilment services through our strategic geographical warehouse network in metropolitan cities, which will help these start-ups establish their presence in the country.
What is the current industrial scenario of the industry you are catering to?
The current scenario in the logistics industry is aimed toward growth accredited to the eCommerce boom, digitization of businesses and behavioural changes of people due to the covid-19 pandemic. There is intense competition as businesses are fighting for the market share constantly aiming to innovate and infuse technology in their processes to gain a competitive edge over other companies. Omni-channel shipping, RFID tags, integration technology, data analytics and the other myriad of emerging technologies are paving the way for innovation and shaping the future of this industry. The Indian logistics market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.7 per cent between 2020 and 2024 according to reports, and businesses are on a quest to leverage cutting-edge technologies.
Staunch Leadership Insight
Anamika Jain is AAJ Enterprises’ Operations Director. She completed her post-graduation in economics from the Delhi School of Economics, Delhi University in 2007. She served as an economist for a brief stint and soon realised her interest in the field of supply chain management and optimisation.
She then chose to join her family business in the year 2014, after which she has consistently been at the helm of breakthrough achievements at AAJ accredited to her inspiring leadership, encouragement, strategic thinking, and innovative service offerings.
Our in-office integrated WMS and the tech-infused solutions are some of those achievements. The company has grown from 1.2 Lakh Square Feet to 7 Lakh Square Feet in a span of 7 years and she remains focused on a multi-faceted growth approach aligned with our vision of being recognised as a leading supply chain services brand across the globe.
