5 Innovations In Logistics For Business ‘Competition And Efficiency’

From lost packages to high shipping costs, there are several concerns that plague the ecommerce industry. Adding to the mix is the growing trend of same-day deliveries, initiated by Amazon, an industry-standard that is hard to match by most e-retailers of any size and maturity.

But there’s hope on the horizon with modern-day logistics software that can create transparent and efficient supply chains, enabling businesses to improve their deliveries while reducing their costs significantly.

Here are the top five features enterprises need in logistics software to make their business more efficient and competitive:

Digital Control Towers

A research by American Shipper reveals that almost three-fourths of supply chain stakeholders cite visibility of freight as one of the most critical challenges to their business, second only to rising operational costs. Indeed, being able to track each and every movement of their delivery fleet can give them full control over the supply chain while also reducing logistic expenses.

An advanced logistics software powered by digital control towers leverages real-time data from the largest GPS, ELD, and telematics network to keep a check on the current status of goods moving on the ground. Also, it can empower businesses with instant alerts for exceptions, such as extra time spent at a resting point by a driver, and escalate tickets in real-time.

Business Process Automation

Automating workflow can help one to get rid of repetitive and time-consuming manual processes while ensuring that the supply chain works seamlessly, like well-oiled machinery.

An advanced business process management platform can empower businesses with customized workflows that are secure and scalable. It can also expedite the pace of digital transformation by reducing the time to build new delivery processes, including testing and deployment. Additional AI and ML-based capabilities enable intelligent decision making and analytics, further improving the delivery process and CX.

Intelligent Task Allocation And Dispatching

Up to 99% of U.S. consumers say that ‘fast delivery’ is important to them when making online purchases. At the same time, more consumers feel frustrated with the lack of professionalism and accuracy when having items delivered.

Today, customers don’t have time for a poor delivery experience. To match up to the demands of savvy customers, businesses need to optimize dispatching processes. Modern logistics software can help by using AI to automatically allocate tasks to delivery executives, depending on the resources available and the destination of a parcel. For example, intelligent software can club several deliveries from a  location, leading to more deliveries in a shorter span of time.

Dynamic Routing

An advanced logistics software can do nothing to prevent traffic congestions, but it can enable a fleet to avoid it through dynamic route planning.

Yes, logistics software powered by real-time dynamic routing capabilities ensures faster deliveries by addressing the common issues that disrupt transportation operations, such as driver route-mapping, pick-up and delivery windows, no entry-time windows, tonnage, empty miles cost, etc. It is also possible to improve the productivity of delivery executives by assigning them highly efficient routes.

Predictive Visibility 

Lack of visibility of the delivery fleet has been a major problem for the logistics industry. Fortunately, advanced logistics management software with Machine Learning capabilities can empower shippers with real-time visibility of their supply chain, helping them optimize their delivery routes by gaining predictive visibility and control over their fleet.

ML capabilities empower logistics software to analyze historical data to deliver critical business information and predict issues that can impede deliveries, including congestion and early detection of pilferage and theft. By tracking the average time taken between two points, it is also possible to trigger alerts in case the duration to reach any of these points exceeds the already set threshold.

Advanced logistics management software can help to achieve high visibility across the supply chain, improving the bottom-line considerably.

According to stats, 79 % of companies with high-performing supply chains achieve revenue growth superior to the average within their industries, while only 8% of businesses with less capable supply chains report above-average growth.

In order to stay relevant in today’s competitive times, it is high time for businesses to invest in technology and build a robust, omni-channel, and efficient supply chain to delight customers and meet their objectives effectively.