Emerging Technology In Logistics & What Business Owners Need To Know

The logistics industry has undergone immense transformations in recent decades. While some of those have been associated with social changes, the majority have been driven by an ongoing period of intense technological innovation.

Luckily, those innovations haven’t stopped, and probably won’t cease soon. Keeping an eye on the relevant innovations can be time-consuming, especially with so many unuseful distractions around - with that in mind, here are the main areas we think you should be aware of.

Automated loading systems

One of the main innovations to hit the market in recent years has been fully automated loading systems. Designed by companies such as Joloda Hydraroll and then integrated into warehouse environments, these solutions have a dramatic positive effect on efficiency in most cases.

Not only do they substantially reduce the number of accidents that are likely to occur, but they also have a massively positive effect on efficiency. Many even work well with already standardized inventory management systems such as the best fleet containers. The result is that despite the typically high initial investment costs, most logistics providers who implement these kinds of solutions can expect to see a complete ROI in as little as just a few years. 

AI-powered data analytics

The logistics industry has long depended on the collection and interpretation of huge quantities of data, for everything from route planning to avoiding bottlenecks. What has changed in recent years is the tools available to make sense of that data, especially in the realm of AI.

In the space of just a couple of years, we now have access to monstrously powerful AI-powered analytic software tools, allowing for near-instantaneous predictions at a high level of accuracy. There is an almost confusing array of options available, and it’s important that you get the option that’s best suited to your needs.

VR in training

The logistics industry involves a huge number of different operators in diverse roles, and an ongoing challenge lies in how best to train these people. In recent years, more and more companies have discovered just how useful VR can be in these training processes.

Using headsets that can create truly immersive environments, learning can be facilitated in a number of different remote contexts without having to sacrifice the quality of experience. Of course, these kinds of training tools might not always be relevant, but for a lot of warehouse roles, they typically will be.

Self-driving vehicles

Lastly, it’s high time that we all take the reality of self-driving vehicles seriously. They may get a lot of bad press, but the technologies already exist, and it’s only a matter of time before they have an even more transformative impact on the logistics industry. 

Those who stay ahead of the curve will likely benefit from a massive competitive advantage compared to their competitors, and it’s important to recognise just how influential early adoption of these technologies could be.

There’s a lot of rubbish out there when it comes to technological innovation, but there are some absolute diamonds that can transform your organisation’s approach to logistics. Finding those diamonds takes time and effort, but it’s absolutely worth it in the end.