The paradigm of customer expectation has always been an important factor in the supply chain and logistics sector and that is most certainly the case now. In fact, it is a crucial aspect that’s shaping the future of the transport industry, as businesses are having to embrace mobile technologies to meet these seemingly ever-increasing standards.

Much has changed in the business world since the end of March 2020 when Covid-19 became the world-restricting paradigm that it is today. This has necessitated many ‘brick-and-mortar’ businesses to switch to an ecommerce model, as customers have had to drastically change the way they make their purchases.

Check out John & Ciaran visiting Glasgow to talk about how the HUB360 platform not only works to reduce delivery related Carbon Emissions but also provides, via one one single platform, the tools to completely transform how you manage load planning, grouping & route optimisation.

The freight industry truly is on the cusp of transformation. Advancements in efficiency powered by AI digitization are altering the landscape while also resetting the bar with regard to what's possible in terms of operational performance and carbon neutrality.

What is smart logistics? Well, it's a term that actually refers to the improvement of transportation and logistics systems, offering the ability to gain an overall picture of manufacturing organisations and analyse decision-making for intelligent, informed execution through the use of intelligent hardware.

In automating these tasks, the HUB360 Haulier Portal and Mobile Driver APP enables a complete digital solution that allows exports to the UK to be managed seamlessly. In addition to this, there is a centrally stored and shared repository of all Export documentation

Something else to keep your eye on as we move into 2021 is the increased adoption of robotics in the supply chain. Route planning, live vehicle tracking and intelligent transportation are just some of the benefits being offered and enjoyed by logistics professionals, but this is just the tip of the iceberg of what we might be seeing soon.

Digital transformation is something that companies that wish to survive in the event of working restrictions being necessary for the long term, need to tackle at some point in the near future.

AI facilitates this optimisation by providing invaluable insights into every aspect of the supply chain, with AI-enabled visual inspections and automatic sorting being just two of the ways in which this is realised. In the B2B transport sector, AI can even accurately forecast when trucks will leave or arrive at warehouses and route planning apps can ensure that the most efficient routes are taken.

As it does in the logistics sector, AI approaches planning and scheduling in a much more considered way by using a dynamic Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) software, rather than a fixed logic. Whilst the current evolution of production planning and scheduling AI still needs an experienced human operator to apply the recommendations it provides, it still results in a much more nuanced and tailored methodology.

As we move into the next phase of the global effort to keep Coronavirus in check, it has been quite difficult to keep track of what the rules are - especially as they keep changing! However, when it comes to the transmission of the disease in the logistics industry, there has been some concrete information issued with regards to how much of a threat it is.

What is certain now though - with the world unlikely to return to its pre-COVID-19 state any time soon - is that companies are going to have to either start or accelerate their digital transformation, not just to compete, but to operate at all. The world truly has changed and in some key areas where remote digital technologies have really come to the fore.