The pandemic has disrupted supply chains around the world: delays, unobtainable raw materials, semi-finished products selling like hot cakes, skyrocketing prices, flooded ports and freight terminals. But a piece of this dynamic had already changed before: a series of trends that Covid-19 provided a sharp acceleration (and a traumatic awakening). Reply, a company that offers cutting-edge software solutions to build an efficient and highly connected digital supply chain, has carried out a survey in which the most relevant technological trends in the logistics sector, as well as their business implications, are under the lens. The research was conducted with Reply’s Sonar Trend Platform: it is an overview and mapping of trends based on their citation and mention in articles by experts in the sector, mass media, patents and scientific publications. Similarly to what was achieved a few weeks ago for the automotive market.
If among the exploding trends there are new generation wireless technologies and among those arriving new types of packaging and quantum computing, among those stagnant and therefore now attested there are the analyzes through big data and augmented and virtual reality. More specifically, the request will gradually shift to integrated end-to-end logistics solutions. Therefore, infrastructures and platforms with integrated digital services and networks will be needed. While technology thus pervades real applications and services, the pandemic has therefore radically shifted the focus of attention and use of those solutions.
Reply’s survey focuses on three trends: sustainable logistics, workforce transformation and omnichannel logistics. In the first case, it deals with the rethinking of supply chains starting from procurement, design, production, delivery and return at the end of life, aiming at improved sustainability through efficiency and optimization of resources, reduction of emissions, electrification of the fleet, offsetting of CO2 emissions, circular solutions and the integration of innovative technologies. We are already moving from neutrality with respect to carbon dioxide, and will increasingly be so, towards zero impact and indeed a positive impact on the climate. If artificial intelligence gives a great hand, new solutions will also be needed – especially for the always problematic last mile in highly urbanized contexts: delivery with electric vehicles, hybrids, bicycles, drones and robots, hyper-local e-commerce and ecological packaging.
The second aspect touches the growing demand for talent and competition due to the boom in digital commerce but also the simultaneous explosion of automation that determines a lower demand for front-line workers or ever-changing work requirements. Just think of intelligent robotics such as AMR / AGVs, picking robots and automation, which now permeate logistical operations to assist people in manual work (the best known case is Amazon but realities of that kind have spread to everyone. sectors). The remote and agile working models that we have known in recent months will soon translate into hybrid models. Not only for where the work will take place but also for the how: workforce enhanced by technology, necessary requalification and acquisition of new work skills to fill the inevitable gaps in knowledge, mental and physical health of the worker and obviously safety.
The third and final trend is that of omnichannel logistics: the acceleration induced by the pandemic, between the boom of e-commerce and the widespread diffusion of home deliveries even for goods previously unrelated to the dynamic ones, has made evident the need for a retail ecosystem perfectly integrated and flexible omnichannel. Incidentally, logistics operators while collaborating with them also face fierce competition from e-commerce giants, start-ups and brands with in-house logistics capabilities. For example, as customers continue to expect instant and flexible delivery options for their online purchases, delivery services need to be highly enriched and differentiated: more and more stores are being reused as warehouses, with customers becoming free to pick up. / receive delivery according to your preferences (smart locker, out-of-store pickup, last mile delivery). Also in this case, as in many segments of the supply chain, it is essential to use artificial intelligence to optimize return processes and reduce inefficiencies, as well as to prepare the products returned for resale and reuse even before they return to the warehouses. or recycling.
Finally, according to Reply, there will be four imperatives for the supply chain of the future: order from anywhere and fulfill the order from anywhere; punctuality of information throughout the supply chain; moving supply chain solutions to the cloud to foster agility and scalability and a generic but essential foresight, for example by combining the cross-functional efforts of marketing and sales with logistics to provide the most engaging customer experience.
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