Ian
As we welcome 2017,
let’s look at the logistic technology trends that are going to be
big. Logistics is the backbone of most industries all over the world.
Technological development in logistics has been phenomenal in recent
times. And with this new year, there are several important trends
identified in the sector.
Last mile
delivery
Technology
is developing by leaps and bounds. Amazon has tested its drone
service for deliveries. We will be looking at research in driverless
vehicles and drones and a lot more entrants into the last mile
delivery industry. They will be consolidated with big players. But we
are still in the nascent stage of such major technologies. While we
are not expecting drones to deliver that pair of ear pods you
purchased, drones could foray into emergency delivery situations.
Local supply
chains
Focus
will be on products
made in the USA, locally sourced, locally made, locally produced
products that are made for specific cities and regions. Today,
customers are specific about what they want to the minute detail. And
the need it delivered the same day. So, there is a lot of thought on
logistics when it comes to hyper-local and getting products closer to
customers and cheaper delivery times. With the world waking up to
green, organic and local goods, this could be a huge impact on
logistics.
Customer
loyalty rewards
Retailers
will reward customers who purchase from their own sites rather than
from Amazon. Incentives will be in the form of free shipping, reward
programs, loyalty discounts etc. This is an attempt to build the
site’s image and slowly make people buy directly from the site.
When a reputation is built over the years, the seller can do away
with Amazon and sell from his site alone.
Wider adoption
of on-demand technology in the supply chain
In weak links of the
supply chain, typically where technology is not used, we can expect
major changes. The buzz words here are real time, GPS and dynamic.
Wherever we have no GPS in truck fleets and warehouses, we will see
adoption of such technologies so that the entire system is
transparent. Systems become fast and efficient. Deliveries cannot be
manipulated manually.
Automation
The modern warehouse
will have minimal human intervention and supervision. Robotic help
will be expanded in loading and unloading. Giants like Amazon are
already using robots to carry shelves of products to human workers.
The next goal would be to automate worldwide warehousing. This would
be fast, error free and would also help bring down warehouse
accidents and injuries. The need for human workers would also go
down. Companies are looking to invest in technology in the coming
years, starting with year 2017.
If you liked this blog, check out our other related blogs:
5 ways to simplify your logistics to meet growing customer base
Why logistic management efficiency is important for companies to succeed
