Home » Digital, sustainable and integrated: the New Era of logistics

Digital, sustainable and integrated: the New Era of logistics

by admin

The boom in e-commerce, the bottleneck of supply chains, the sustainable transition, the cost of energy, system integration and still the digital transformation. The great challenges faced by the world of logistics over the course of 2021 they were so numerous and complex that defining the last year simply as challenging would be somewhat simplistic. If on the one hand the sector was an absolute protagonist of the post-pandemic revival, on the other it was also one of the sectors most exposed to the turmoil of recent months. And it is precisely this chiaroscuro picture that has brought out the need for a definitive turn towards a real logistics sustainable, intelligent, technological and integrated.

In any case, 2021 was theyear of transition towards more sustainable logistics, from an economic, social and environmental point of view. The so-called “Contract Logistics”, Estimates theContract Logistics Observatory “Gino Marchet” of the School of Management of Politecnico di Milano, has started to march again reaching a turnover of 86 billion euros, up 3.5% compared to 2020 and a step up from the 87 billion pre-Covid. The increase was affected by the same two factors that had favored the performance of 2020, which ended in decline but much more contained than the economy as a whole (-5.8% against -8.9%): the growing role of advanced logistic services, which accounted for over 10% of turnover for half of the logistics suppliers, and the boom dell’e-commerce, which passed from a niche segment to account for 20% of turnover for 60% of suppliers.

See also  Manghi (Cisco): "Innovation without sustainability no longer makes sense"

However, in 2021 the costs of production factors such as energy (+ 24%), fuel (+ 13%) and rents (+ 2%). In addition, the new National Collective Agreement for Logistics, Freight Transport and Shipping Workers has defined wage increases for the next three years (+ 5% of the current salary net of seniority and health assistance). All increases which, if not managed properly, warn the analysts of the Digital Innovation Observers, could reduce the already narrow margins of sector operators, moreover at a time when important investments are needed.

The general good news is that, beyond the turmoil, the sustainable transformation of logistics has already begun, with interventions by both buyers and logistics suppliers. Currently there are 53 areas of the logistics process impacted by projects related to sustainable transition. They range from the design of logistics networks to warehouses and transport, from packaging to the development of new skills, up to collaboration between the different stages of the supply chain. Clients are also focusing on packaging, experimenting with new packaging materials secondary, reviewing the palletisation of products and introducing ad hoc circuits for the management of packaging, and on network design, with great attention to intermodal road-rail transport. Suppliers are therefore firmly focusing on reducing the environmental impact of warehouse and transport activities.

The other great strategic line of intervention and reinvention is represented by digital transformation. Not surprisingly, interest in 4.0 logistics solutions is growing: on average each logistics operator has completed or is developing 4.5 projects in this area, of which 65% concern warehouse activities and 35% transport. Overall, there are 275 4.0 projects completed by the logistics operators or under development by the operators themselves: 23% of the projects analyzed are in the problem definition phase, while 45% of the companies interviewed have at least one project that has reached the conclusion. Of these projects, 35% were developed in the transport sector, with a focus on the integration of the various players in the supply chain, while 65% concerns the warehouse and focuses in particular on process automation.

See also  Catch out the dormant stellar black hole, 160,000 light-years away and form a binary star system with blue giant stars | TechNews Technology News

“The emergency has changed logistical flows, modifying the impact of the various channels and accelerating the growth of e-commerce and the needs of customers – observes Elena Tappia, director of the Contract Logistics Observatory -. Logistics operators are responding to these challenges, on the one hand, by developing new advanced services and strengthening omnichannel initiatives, and on the other, with a strong commitment to environmental sustainability. Many companies have now passed the “green washing” phase and have begun to implement sustainable technologies. Logistics 4.0 can in fact enable and accompany the transition underway, as long as it does not limit itself to adding a new technology or a new project, but leads to a critical revision of the logistics processes “.

You may also like

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More

Privacy & Cookies Policy