Enabling Better Logistics Services Using Next Gen Tech

Every business relies on flawless supply chain and logistics management. At the end of the day, everything boils down to the efficiency and capabilities of logistics. E-commerce is growing, rather, exploding. Today, if a business is not online, does it even exist? The biggest and most important reason for this exponential rise is the narrowing timeframe between the purchase and the actual receipt of the goods. The penetration of digital across every segment and vertical has led to the rise of Logistics 4.0. The Amazon effect is disrupting logistics and the future of the supply chain. One-day and two-day deliveries are attracting more customers and further increasing the demand. Logistics, supply chain, and transportation are getting completely transformed because of two main reasons. Firstly, the rising demand by the Amazon effect, and secondly, the advancing technologies that enable to fulfillment of the demands.

Keeping up with technology and logistics trends

Advanced technological solutions have affected all industries, especially the logistics sector. Consumers these days, are technologically savvy which in turn makes them demand more from businesses. They want quick shipping, real-time visibility, flexibility, and great customer service. Falling behind technological trends is not an option for businesses, as consumer demands can only be fulfilled with the help of logistics technology. Companies that evolve with technology are the only ones that will survive in the long run.

Recent technological innovation in logistics brought up by the Gen Z

Technology has brought several innovations into logistics. There are several recent technologies such as the internet of things, mobile, augmented reality, social media, cloud storage, and computing that improve the efficiency of logistics operations. They are in operation in several countries and India can easily adapt these for improving the supply chain operations. Here we consider recent technology innovations in various logistics segments. The manufacturing factory floor logistics are fully automated using robots and guided vehicles controlled by agent-based centralized software, that is, the parts that enter the factory floor are assembled as final products and are delivered as the factory output without human intervention. The factory floor is a cyber-physical system using tags, sensors, and embedded chips.

Several innovations are happening in the inbound logistics arena. Vehicle tracking and dispatch keep track of the location and inventory of every vehicle. Warehouse operations and cross-docking use an information system that dynamically coordinates trucks and the dock. Large trucking firms are adding data from new sensors, that is, monitoring fuel levels, container location, capacity, driver behavior, etc to their logistical optimization algorithms.

Augmented reality can assist in loading, unloading, handling merchandise, and inventory pick-ups and allows employees to interact with animated stock. AR can achieve more effective pick-ups. AR devices could use a combination of scanners and 3D depth sensors to determine the number of parcels or their volume.

In retail logistics, e-commerce is making a big comeback via mobile applications. Online retailing is on the rise driven by Amazon. In India, online retailing is making a big wave. There are a whole bunch of shopping sites in India and many of them are being launched on a monthly basis. People use these sites to shop for things from electronic gadgets, and books to fashion apparel Flipkart, Amazon, eBay, Snapdeal, Myntra, HomeShop18, etc are some of the companies doing very well.

Food companies that use IoT-connected testing equipment can confirm food quality as it leaves the factory or warehouse. Fleet managers can then leverage the IoT to make sure temperature-sensitive and perishable goods don’t go bad in transit through sensor-enabled refrigerator systems.

Social media for logistics

Social media is a tool to listen to and engage customers. It can also be used as a way to share content and establish yourself as a thought leader in a specific market. For logistics companies, these benefits can run deeper than just a general improvement in brand awareness and leads. For instance, carriers such as FedEx and UPS are proactively dealing with customer issues and complaints through Facebook and Twitter. A variety of logistics companies are engaging potential clients by posting educational and informative content on topics that matter to their customers which drives traffic to their websites. We can see more apps being developed in this area in the very near future in India.

Status of Indian logistics infrastructure

The logistics sector in India is an area of priority. In India, nearly 61% of the cargo is moved by road, 30% by rail, and the rest by airways, pipelines, and inland waterways. In India, the road has become the predominant mode of transportation for freight cargo because of poor rail freight infrastructure such as low-quality loading and unloading stations and a lack of container trains on the railway network, and the Government policy of prioritizing the passenger tariff creating uncertain transit times. In India, logistics operations are influenced by Government policies, Regulations such as green, taxes, customs, human, financial, and industrial resources in addition to the infrastructure.

Conclusion

The rising customer expectations as well as the market competition are making it absolutely necessary for the logistics provider to level up. The new entrants in the industry are bringing along cutting-edge solutions. Logistics software testing and IoT testing eliminate any possibility of glitches, thus, helping businesses to develop trust among their customers.

Aashirwad Deshmukkh, Founder, Howdyy