Many people perceive technological innovations as something providing a purely personal profit. In reality, every domain of life is influenced by the swift progress that humanity now observes. The logistics industry is no exception. Replete with a variety of manual processes and cumbersome data, this area might well benefit most from future advances and breakthroughs.

Supply chain management is riddled with minor errors and inconsistencies that lead to numerous delivery challenges and issues. To address these long-standing problems, one must find drastic solutions, and cutting-edge technology can be a definitive answer to the vexed questions. Let’s look at ten technology trends that will most probably shape the moving industry and supply chain in the years to come.

10 technology trends that will change the logistics industry

1. IoT and AI

Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence are probably the biggest game changers as of today. With the help of computers, the whole supply chain management becomes transparent and visible. In a nutshell, it is an intelligent communication between millions of sensors, allowing logistics experts to eliminate all sorts of transportation issues more quickly and efficiently.

2. Robotics and drones

Robots are much more effective and productive workers than people. Moreover, they exclude the human factor. Some shipping companies already use autonomous mobile robots to pick and transport goods in warehouses. Drones are another way to minimize delivery time, especially in big cities when traffic jams are but a serious issue nowadays.

3. Digital twins

The technology “digital twins” is basically when digital and physical worlds come together. It is frequently used for collecting data about products and their packaging. The thing is that it enables people to interact with the digital models of physical objects. With the help of 3D layouts, enterprises can obtain real-time information about freight and thus hugely improve transportation management.

4. Green logistics

Air pollution is a time bomb. The amount of harmful gases released into the atmosphere grows each year exponentially, and the logistics industry is part of the problem. Green logistics is an accelerating trend encompassing various approaches to handling goods. Among them are electric cars, recyclable packaging materials, fuel without carbon emissions, etc.

5. Warehouse automation

With each year, warehouses become more human-free. While it may sound dreadful at first, automation is, in fact, fairly beneficial for everyone. Thanks to automated storage and retrieval systems, intelligent security solutions, and pick-and-place technology, managers may increase warehouse productivity a lot. As a result, the cost of professional storage services will bring down.

6. Blockchain technology

Blockchain will be used to create a safe and transparent network between companies. Not only will it help record transactions and manage necessary documents, but it will also minimize the risks of hacker attacks. Though it is not yet fully implemented in logistics, the idea deserves serious consideration.

7. Advanced big data analytics

Modern logistics companies still use outdated approaches to big data analysis and analytics. It is about time for the industry to take a step forward and revolutionize the way information is collected, processed, and stored. In 2019, new data standards were introduced, but it is a hurdle for the majority of enterprises to switch to the new rules. In other words, there is a huge potential that is still untapped.

8. Autonomous vehicles

Future belongs to self-driving cars. As practice shows, autonomous vehicles still have some major issues to be tackled. However, it does not mean that the idea and underlying trend are bad. Like any other invention, driverless cars need time. In the future, they might well become the foundation for massive industry management improvement, allowing people to move their goods without delays and risks.

9. SCV

SCV (Supply Chain Visibility) is probably one of the freshest trends on the list. This is but another approach to the use of real-time data. It is worth mentioning that this technology is hugely dependant on AI and IoT mentioned above. SCV takes monitoring to a whole new level, as the system takes into account various traffic patterns, from weather conditions to the state of the roads.

10. Bots

Chatbots and collaborative bots are designed to enhance customer service and make clients’ lives easier. The computer will guide you through all the stages of the shipping process and find the best suitable solutions to satisfy all your needs.

When to expect big changes?

These future industry trends are already making a difference. Most of them are at an early stage of development, and yet the impact is already palpable. Considering the hectic pace of life, it is difficult to say when these trends will become a reality. One thing is for sure, society, as we know it, needs a gradual and phased transition to new technologies. Otherwise, progress is not possible. The change starts with you!