Whether by ground, sea or air, the transportation, shipping, and logistics are critical components to the productivity of a lot of enterprises; and access to data in real-time is paramount. A lot of businesses already have discovered the advantages of using technologies.
THE ADVENT OF TECHNOLOGY IN SHIPPING, TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS
As regulations in the industry pressure transportation and logistics companies to do more with less, profitability is at risk. Nevertheless, with visibility into personnel, transactions and equipment, organizations could better support peak operations in real-time, boosting performance and operational efficiency. With the advent of mobile technologies today as well as the Internet of Things, companies could accelerate profitability, productivity and operations with solutions that are specially designed for their processes. With the right solution in place, enterprises could connect all devices across a central cloud network, capture and share their mission-vital data, enabling them to acquire real-time visibility in operations.
TECHNOLOGY TRENDS THAT ARE DOMINANT IN THE INDUSTRY FOR 2016
- USE OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES & DRONES WOULD GROW
Over the past years, the use of drones has become more common. This logistics technology ultimately is not ready yet for roll out on a massive scale. Nevertheless, recently Intel set a world record of having the most unmanned aerial vehicles, which simply is a technical term for drones that are flown in one location at the same time. Autonomous vehicles, which essentially are unmanned will also become more common. In Arizona, autonomous vehicles are already used by a logistics provider.
- TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM BECOMES MORE PREVALENT BUT AFFORDABLE. Shippers historically were not able to take advantage of a TMS unless a shipper processed an extraordinarily high shipments volume. For a lot of smaller shippers, using a TMS simply was out of the question. Nonetheless, the rise of the cloud changed it. The growth of SaaS or software-as-a-service apps would further level the playing field between big and small to medium shipping organizations. The ROI for TMS cloud-based solutions on average, has experienced positive growth of 7.5 percent. The logistics technology helps shippers allocate money and bring forth savings to their budgets.
- INCREASED USE OF ROBOTS IN LOADING, UNLOADING, WAREHOUSES AND DELIVERY
Robots seem to be coming out everywhere. There are numerous robotic technologies in more warehouses, when loading freight and shipment on tow trucks, when unloading shipment at distribution centers and probably when the package is delivered at the doorstep.
TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS CHANGE HOW BUSINESS IS DONE
Technological innovations in shipping, transportation and logistics change how the world does business. All aspects of how the industry functions could be enhanced dramatically by technology From more efficiency and affordability of the transportation management system or TMS to the application of Bluetooth technology for superior tracking, 2017 could be the year wherein technology becomes a vital, if not an exclusive part of the shipping process.
Most people now perceive heavy use of technology as only in the manufacturer-realm. Technological breakthroughs in logistics are pushing further the bounds of what people consider normal shipping standards.
HOW TECHNOLOGY MOVES LOGISTICS
Fundamentally, transport and logistics are about moving things from place to place. Thus, the main service of the industry could be categorized into things that move and things that do the moving. The supply side of the industry includes warehouses wherein goods are stored and forwarded, a transport network such as air, sea, roads, tunnels and vessels, vehicles and crafts used for moving goods from suppliers to warehouses and ultimately to the customer. The efficiency, manageability, capacity, reliability and cost with which transportation and logistics companies could provide are the main drivers of value on the supply side.
Technology has the potential to boost parameters within the key components of shipping, transportation and logistics as well as add value to businesses and their clientele. Together, the apps focus largely on cutting costs or boosting efficiency. Because those are common business needs, it’s natural that technology must address them. Applications furthermore are able to meet other business requirements, from shaping the industry to making new revenue. For instance, some enterprises already are exploring new pay-as-you-go business models, thanks to the enhanced real-time and visibility control that technology applications could provide.
MAINTAINING EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLES
Smart technology automates numerous aspects of fleet maintenance and management. The same as consumer vehicles come with high-tech features such as tire pressure monitoring systems and stability control, cargo trucks benefit from application –controlled maintenance alerts that prevent expensive breakdowns. In turn, this keeps truck drivers and fellow motorists safe.
In addition, smart devices could learn driver behaviors and communicate information to fleet managers. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity ascertain that all points in the industry remain connected and that important data is backed up to the cloud.
Without doubt, technology strategies benefit everyone in the industry, from warehousing employees to end users. Shipping and trucking companies could build more accurate pricing structures and boost speed in delivering systems.