How Will Logistics Automation Affect a Consumer in the coming months?

The beginning of the New Year and the new decade at the same time give an excellent opportunity for business forecasts and predictions. It goes for the logistics industry as well. It would help if you prepared yourself for new trends and changes. So, how will the supply chain management transform in the upcoming year? And most importantly – how will logistics automation affect a consumer in the next few months?

Taking into account the explosion of the e-commerce market (according to Statista, 1.8 billion people worldwide shop online) alone, the transportation and logistics (T&L) industry have no other choice but to embrace the digitalization process fully.

With time as our most demanded currency nowadays, consumers expect to solve their problems fast, to buy fast, and to receive their purchased products fast. 

Inefficient logistics management, unfortunately, fails to fulfill that demand.

The logistics operation problem

What this T&L ecosystem is facing is:

• A vast network of big, medium and small transportation providers. We are talking about contractors, subcontractors, all depended and linked to each other. But – without one integrated way to communicate and to share information in real-time;
• An array of complicated, and independent warehouse managing systems and logistics management systems. Systems that (usually) more prominent companies have developed for their purposes. But those IT systems were not designed to work with other logistics solutions;
• An army of medium and small supply chain companies who have not yet digitalized their business processes. They are, sadly, still burning their time and resources on outdated transport management. It comes down to wasting time and money on repetitive and mundane spreadsheet work and management style taken from the 90s.

The way things work in this industry affects e-commerce marketplaces, online shops, and, last but not least – consumers.

Consumers who shouldn’t care that a manager from logistics company A couldn’t reach out to the truck fleet owner (company B). They don’t care if that owner was trying to locate his truck driver who got stuck in a queue to load the cargo.

How can the new year change the situation?

The solution – effective integration of logistics systems

To get back on the right track, the logistics industry has to stop being an archipelago of separated business players. To face their pain points and challenges, T&L companies need to join their forces and to build bridges between those scattered islands.

Is it possible? To make it happen, the industry needs a transparent platform that will connect all the companies. It will provide both – a cloud-based management system and customer service.

A platform that will work independently from dozens of internal transport systems developed by various companies and enable consumers (and T&L providers) to monitor every step in the supply chain process.

This type of dynamic logistics management software will you help with:

• Finding the best carrier suited for your needs;
• Assigning tasks and matching orders with your subcontractors automatically;
• Permanent access to always up-to-date information. Which means that even if you check what’s happening with your cargo in the middle of the night, you will be able to do that with no hassle;
• Keeping your finger on the pulse. If any delays, roadblocks, car accidents, weather issues come up, you will get an immediate notification. With a system that always let you know what’s the accurate status is, nothing will take you by surprise;
• Improving your performance as a business manager. With a cloud-based logistics platform, you can adjust your resources (office and warehouse employees, but most of all – drivers) to an actual number of orders to be carried.

Improved fleet management and further expansion

T&L companies cooperate with many subcontractors. As a consequence, they are partially dependent on their services and the quality of other carriers’ performance. 

The problem with this kind of dependency is that it usually gets out of control. The challenge for the new year is to move your business from gambling towards a stable process.

With one logistics management platform that connects all the companies involved, T&L companies will always know the status of cargo forwarded to subcontractors (local carriers). 

Hublock can make that happen. Unlike other logistics software solutions, this cloud-based platform will allow you to monitor the supply chain process at every stage. And to get automatic intel about every event that your cargo would come across.

But Hublock will deliver much more than just a tool to supervise your logistics subcontractors. This data-sharing platform will also serve as a supply chain marketplace. Companies who plan an expansion on other regions or countries, will be able to pick a reliable partner with the best business offering concerning that particular territory.

Logistics automation – a business growth-oriented solution

Operations departments in T&L companies already have problems with both – optimizing their work (like inventory control or warehouse managing) by making the most of their staff and hiring new employees. 

Logistics automation can solve them too. By switching the automation, each logistics operator will have substantially more time on tasks that require more work and commitment. 

What’s more, by turning a green light to Hublock logistics automation, smaller companies will increase their chances to get through to new markets and customers. This expansion and growth will mean achieving more significant reliability and brand awareness.

Last, small and medium T&L players will get a chance to take their processes outside (and to leave their inefficient spreadsheet work behind them). All they need to is to join a dynamic network of other thriving supply chain businesses. 

It will lead to more effective transport management. Processing orders and routes handled with automation will help to eliminate empty or half-empty runs. The results? Profit increase and more eco-friendly approach (which is one of the most demanded business policies in the following year).

How will logistics automation affect a consumer in the coming months?

Receiving goods by the (business and individual) consumer is the final stage of the supply chain. Delivering those on time is substantial for consumer’s and your (as a logistics business manager) point of view. 

To make it work flawlessly, you need to leave the old habits in the past and open yourself for logistics automation. It’s the only way to take out the vulnerable parts of the process and to save your time and money.