Technology has changed all aspects of business pretty drastically over recent years, and logistics are no different. As I write, R&D departments all over the world are working on the next way to get their products shipped more efficiently and conveniently. I’m sure you want your business to thrive, and it’s in its best interests for you to find out about these technologies. Here’s the technology which has had the biggest impact on logistics.
First of all, automation and robotics. 2016 is certainly an excit5ing time to be involved in the robotics niche. More and more industries are seeing the benefits, and investing massively in robotic solutions which make processes more efficient and reliable. When you investigate the supply chains of some of the world’s biggest brands, the full impact of robotics really dawns on you. Robotics takes a wide variety of forms and serves a variety of functions. Some assemble gadgets, others move objects from place to place in the warehouse, and some simply scan barcodes. As I’m sure you’ve heard, Amazon is starting to step into distributing through robotic drones. This kind of tech is still only just blossoming, so make sure you catch the boat!
Okay, so a lot of smaller start-up companies simply don’t have the financial means to throw that much capital at robotics. However, there are still many more established kinds of tech which will be well within your grasp. GPS fleet management is one of them. Many new entrepreneurs start managing a fleet, and quickly discover just how fast it is to manage one and meet their targets. The whole task becomes much easier when you’re able to see where your commercial vehicles are at any time, and track their performance to measure efficiency. Reduced operating costs, insurance premiums, and tighter HR management are just a few of the benefits of GPS fleet tracking. If you need a little more control over your fleet, then this is the way to fix it.
Finally, advanced inventory management systems. These days, the visibility and insights provided by modern inventory systems are really extensive. As a business owner, I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how massive and complex a modern day inventory can become. Using advanced inventory management systems, you can scale it all down into manageable bites of data and make them far more manageable. Manual, traditional inventory systems that rely on human input may be fine for you for the moment. However, as your operation grows and your supply chain becomes more and more complex, you’ll start to find that an advanced inventory management system is essential. Once you install one of these, you’ll be able to monitor, organise and replenish your inventory from one easy to use interface. If you’re only just starting to open your first string of distribution centres, then this is one piece of tech you certainly can’t ignore.
Whether you read this to help your R&D or just to prepare for the future, I hope you’ve learned something new about the developing world of logistic tech.
