How connectivity and mobility are driving the multi-billion-dollar logistics industry boom
No sector is more familiar with the advantages of connected technology than transport and logistics. But where is the industry headed now? How is it adapting to the new challenges and emerging opportunities this decade presents?
How connectivity and mobility are driving the multi-billion-dollar logistics industry boom
For an industry that’s as old as civilisation itself, logistics has evolved quickly over the last half a century to offer unimaginable levels of service. Connecting the unconnected. Reaching the unreachable. Centralising the remote.
And powering every radical change in how logistics serves the world: connectivity.
In fact, no sector is more familiar with the advantages of mobile, connected technology than transport and logistics. But where is the industry headed now? How is it adapting to the new challenges and emerging opportunities this decade presents? And what can businesses do to keep abreast of technological evolution?
The ‘Prime’ effect is driving consumer expectations skyward
First, we need to understand why the arrival and integration of new technologies matters within the logistics industry at all.
Today’s consumer doesn’t want to wait. They want their next drama series released all at once and ready to stream in an evening. They want their shopping available to click and collect inside an hour. And, yes, they want that parcel delivered next-day – even, in some cases, within the same day, or hour.
It goes without saying that these lightning-fast fulfilment times are only possible to uphold with the integration of high-performance connectivity, combined with extremely efficient working processes. From order generation to pick and pack; warehouse to last-mile – operations need to be smooth and seamless. Any lagging tech or system issues will cause delays for the entire chain.
Great customer service doesn’t stop with the timeliness of deliveries. Consumers want full visibility of their order’s progress at every stage, too.
For this reason, technology such as geo-tracking has been invaluable to couriers and last-mile carriers, as customers track their items’ journey and estimated arrival times. With the rise of 5G, geolocation will become even more accurate, offering more precise real-time updates on delivery status.
And enhanced connectivity won’t only benefit customers. Ubiquitous 5G offers the potential for significant optimisation of the supply chain – in fact, it’s predicted 5G will provide $280 billion USD of benefits to the logistics industry by 2031.
By connecting to transportation infrastructure such as road traffic monitoring systems and roadside sensors, as well as by providing their own real-time location data, road fleet vehicles can automatically keep hub controllers and WMS (Warehouse Management Software) up to date on their journey progression. As a result, it’s possible to accurately predict arrival times, and to schedule precise pick, pack and unload operations down to the minute, for complete efficiency.
With 5G, there’s no lag. No latency. And the opportunities it offers for logistics are unprecedented.
Being connected anywhere at any time means there’s no choice for logistics businesses: they need to push the boundaries of their operations and embrace new technology, or they’ll be left behind. So while logistics as a whole has traditionally been viewed as a slow-moving beast when it comes to tech innovation, new ways of working that were previously considered to be the realm of giants like Amazon, DHL and Kuehne + Nagel are now coming to the masses.
Often cited as the true benchmark of Industry 4.0, automation is set to explode across the next decade. And if businesses weren’t already taking this trend seriously, the impact of COVID-19 on workplace contact has compounded the need for them to act quickly.
Automated parcel-sorting. Automated inventory tracking. Automated storage and retrieval bots. Many of these AI-powered processes have become commonplace in warehousing environments, as have the robotics which support them. And where they’re used most successfully is when integrated with professional teams, who are then freed from menial tasks to perform more creative or problem-solving operations.
But automation isn’t just transforming the warehouse. One of the next big predictions for the industry is the transformation of last mile – or last 100 yards – of parcel delivery.
Beyond self-driving vehicles, drones and bots have both been tested for last-mile operations: Amazon, for example, patenting and testing a number of technologies which would transform last-mile delivery. The biggest benefit, apart from the speed and efficiency of such operations, is the ability to offer more remote customers to the same level of service as their city-centre counterparts.
With the right technology offering a seamless experience when it comes to managing, routing and deploying last-mile orders.
Summary
With huge advances in geolocation, asset tracking, connected vehicles and analytics – in many cases enabled by the IoT – businesses that embrace these new developments are the businesses that will succeed.
But you don’t need to invest in full warehouse automation, purchase a fleet of drones or recruit a robotic workforce to benefit from greater efficiency. You can take advantage of changing technology trends with the right connected technology.
Panasonic TOUGHBOOK mobile devices combine the best of handheld, smartphone and barcode-reading functionality in a single device. We’re the world leader when it comes to rugged technology, customised options and engineering technology that’s able to withstand the drops, vibrations and heavy loads of your day-to-day. Our products can handle extreme temperatures – ideal for cold chain working – with intelligent screen technology that means your teams can work clearly in all weathers.
Above all, our complementary software tools and unrivalled connectivity makes us the partner of choice for logistics businesses who are ready to transform their productivity.
Discover our solutions for transport and logistics.
Read more insights…
blog
Panasonic TOUGHBOOK at BAPCO 2024 – Key Learnings
As a leading provider of rugged computing and communication solutions for the emergency services sector, BAPCO’s annual event in Coventry was the only place to be for Panasonic TOUGHBOOK in March, giving it direct access to the full spectrum of blue light decision makers.
blog
Panasonic’s latest TOUGHBOOK G2 and 33 tablets push the boundaries of rugged computing
Panasonic’s new TOUGHBOOK G2mk2 and 33mk3 provide the modern mobile worker with a perfectly balanced solution, regardless of the task, application or environment.
Case Study
Panasonic TOUGHBOOK indispensable for Circet field service engineers
Circet is the European market leader in building and maintaining the vital telecom fiber optic networks. In the energy world, they focus on smart energy, such as charging stations for electric vehicles and digital electricity meters in office and residential buildings. Circet Benelux is an installation company for all major players in the market. Especially in the smart energy business unit, the company makes widespread use of Panasonic's TOUGHBOOK notebooks and tablets.
blog
Celebrating the Women of Panasonic Connect Europe
International Women’s Day provides us all with an opportunity to celebrate the key women in each of our lives, and how they positively impact society, whether it’s in one company, a department, an industry or the wider world. At Panasonic Connect Europe, we’ve spoken to five fantastic females on what it means to be working at the forefront of innovation and technology.
Sorry there was an error...
The files you selected could not be downloaded as they do not exist.
You selected items.
Continue to select additional items or download selected items together as a zip file.
You selected 1 item.
Continue to select additional items or download the selected item directly.
Share page
Share this link via:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Xing
Facebook
Or copy link: