The logistics and transport industry is being transformed by digitalisation, e-commerce and mobile communications. Both consumers and employees are now always connected. And this means that consumers expect faster response times, more possibilities to choose from and the ability to contact companies anytime, anywhere. This gives rise to a number of trends in the world of transport and logistics, including the rise of self-service channels, increased automation and employee transformation.
The future of the transport and logistics industry
Some of the characteristics that will shape the logistics and transport industry in the coming years will be:
- Exploration of the vast amount of data available, generating Insights and nurturing Artificial Intelligence to respond to demand.
- Disruptive environment, with high volatility, resilience and continuous generation of opportunities.
- Digital ecosystems in response to a multi-platform world.
- Agile innovation in companies no longer as an option but as a necessity to cope with the environment.
- Focus on the development of solutions for last mile delivery.
- Globalisation 2.0, which will change strategies in terms of materials, machinery and workers.
- Creation of increasingly resilient supply chains.
- Digital-first strategies to cope with the complexity and ubiquity required in logistics and transport systems Technology trends in transport and logistics.
To move towards this future, logistics and transport
Will rely on a number of technologies that will have an increasing weight in the industry.
- Artificial Intelligence to make predictions: by 2023, 50% of supply chain predictions will be automated thanks to Artificial Intelligence.
- Digital commerce: B2B commerce will also move towards the digital world, improving sales and the creation of effective Marekting strategies.
- Automated processes: order processing, warehousing in distribution centres, inventory control, procurement and storage plans will be improved.
- Cloud & APIs: Cloud technology and connection via APIs will improve transportation from production plants to distribution centres.
- Unique 360º vision: Big Data and Analytics will help to understand how each product works in order to develop new products (or modify current ones) based on historical data.
The future of the logistics and transport industry is undoubtedly increasingly digital. This implies a transformation of culture and business processes, as well as a big push for technology to seize the opportunities and address the challenges of this growing sector. Digital commerce has pushed the needs and speed of the logistics sector through the roof, and companies will have to seek maximum efficiency and embrace technology to meet evolving demand.
