The logistics business is evolving rapidly at the moment, but which logistics industry trends will generate lasting change? We’ve taken a deep dive into the latest studies from DHL and Logistics Management magazine to give you the answer.
Technology and agility, these are two of the most important areas in logistics moving forward, according to a recent study from DHL and a survey study from Logistics Management magazine.
Robotics and other forms of automation are starting to make a notable impact on logistics, with the relentless focus on optimisation and demand for flexible and transparent supply chains driving the shift towards an automated future.
A series of trends are predicted to transform the logistics sector in the years to come. Let’s begin by taking a closer look at the perhaps most prominent one; a technology which has sparked international headlines a number of times in recent years.
There are many highly repetitive, labour-intensive tasks in the logistics industry, so it is of little surprise that the industry is looking towards modern robotics to increase productivity and efficiency.
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Does this mean warehouse workers should be afraid of losing their jobs? Not at this point in time.
And although automation in the longer term is likely to reduce the need for humans to perform the most basic logistics tasks, it will, at the same time, generate new types of jobs that warehouse workers can fill with a bit of training.
Across the board, industries are experiencing labour shortages due to an ageing workforce; an issue that automation can alleviate.
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China, the production capital of the world, is already capitalising on the benefits automation brings and has become the largest market in the world for industrial robots.
The first wave of robots has entered the logistics industry within the last couple of years, and the use of robotics will expand and grow faster in the industry as the technology matures and becomes more affordable.
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We live a connected life where apps, advanced GPS-tracking, and cloud computing makes it possible to create a level of transparency in logistics that was inconceivable only a few years ago.
New technology provides new possibilities, but it also raises the bar. Customers have high expectations when it comes to tracking, speed, and predictability.
Therefore, it’s probably no surprise that the survey study from Logistics Management concludes, that one of the primary drivers of the digital transformation in the industry is to increase the ability to respond to customer expectations.
A customer-centric business model seeks to make details about shipments available and increase flexibility in the supply chain. According to the DHL-study, a customer-centric business model will be key to success moving forward.
The customer-centric approach also provides the logistics company with valuable insight into the customers’ needs. This enables higher efficiency so even though it’s a customer-centric model, it is also very much a tool to develop the internal workflow of logistics companies.
The ambition to meet customer's expectations will continue to drive the digital transformation forward, especially within, but not limited to, e-commerce.
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Access to the Internet and data connectivity will expand further in the coming years. Areas without access to the Internet and general connectivity issues will soon be a thing of the past. With increased and more reliant connectivity, the Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to be adopted widely in the field of logistics.
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In fact, IoT represents a whopping $1.9 trillion opportunity for the global logistics industry, according to DHL.
In order to realize this tremendous potential, a logistics company needs to establish a system which can collect data, analyse it on its own and suggest adjustments to the processes, perhaps even implementing these changes on its own. That requires a smart system. It requires a system built with AI, or Artificial Intelligence.
AI has quickly moved from niche to mainstream in the private market as programmers have found applications for this technology in a series of smartphone apps. Slowly, but surely, the business sector is starting to catch up, eager to benefit from the lucrative promise of making machines think and act by themselves.
With AI, a programme can find patterns in large amounts of data and, for instance, direct delivery vehicles according to traffic or predict when customers in a specific region need new deliveries.
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One reason for the slow adoption is that logistics companies don’t seem to be investing enough into various digital technologies.
The study presented by Logistics Management magazine reveals that more than 63 percent of the respondents characterise their company’s digital efforts as being either “slow adopting” or “mainstream”, indicating that the companies invest quite little in the transformation or simply follow the trend in the industry.
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It’s no longer a matter of opinion and internal strategy whether to work to decrease one's carbon footprint or not. It’s business critical.
Around the world, governments are working on policies to restrict the production and sale of diesel and petrol vehicles in the coming years, forcing the logistics sector to rethink their business models and assets.
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Sustainability is no new trend in the logistics industry, but in the coming years the demand for more sustainable solutions will grow, and how logistics companies choose to implement these could affect the face of the industry.
There is a multitude of technologies on the horizon that might help minimise the industries carbon footprint, like electric and hybrid vehicles, and AI-powered systems that lower time and fuel consumption.
One example of green thinking in action is DHL’s new City Hub trailer; a customised trailer which can carry up to four containers for the DHL Cubicycle – a cargo bicycle explicitly designed for deliveries in the inner part of congested cities. The solution dramatically reduces emissions by minimising the mileage and time spent on the road in urban environments.
On the more practical side, the iconic logistics container is expected to evolve in the near future. So-called smart containerisation formats are intelligent and modularised, which allows for flexible loads and more efficient space utilisation.
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This blog is driven by Satair Marketing & Communication with input from both internal and external contributors.
Satair is a world leading provider of aftermarket services and solutions for the civil aerospace industry. Satair is a stand-alone company and Airbus subsidiary.