There is little doubt that technology has transformed the Logistics business in the last several years. Will we ever get to fast enough or efficient enough? It's not likely. Under pressure exerted by demand for instant gratification, new tech-first logistics providers are beginning to pervade the fulfillment environment. Without the autonomous hardware that promises to supersede traditional road transportation, they are instead leveraging digital tools to improve the performance of manually executed deliveries and reduce lead times from days to hours, with 24 being today’s bargain-basement service level. These companies, through the use of customer-integrated business platforms, mobile technology, and crowd-sourcing, are finding ways to pick orders within minutes of receiving them, dispatch deliveries on-demand, and bring buyer’s purchases to them in time-frames of two hours or even less.  How are logistics professional going to keep this pace?  Here are some technology trends that may be worth a look as we enter 2021 and beyond.

Robotics

Given the energy and investment in robotics in our space, suggesting that there will be a robotics trend in 2021 is pretty obvious. After all the pilots and promises, what seems to be happening is that robot solution providers, and the end user community, are realizing that there is no one size fits all robotic applications. Quite the opposite is true. The customization is proving so complicated due to the advanced operations of the robots that the programming and engineering has become problematically complicated. Robotic applications are a very customized solution depending upon the product line, distribution protocols and warehouse volume parameters. The challenge, in addition to the design, will be the management system that can bring the components in synchronicity with the rest of the automation. The difficulty seems to be that there is no standardization among the robotic providers. Each have their own standards, communication protocols and capabilities. Someone will have to figure all of that out as robots proliferate. The next generation robots will not just be tasked with simply, repetitive and mundane projects as were the first generation. The robots of today will be much more complicated providing a wide range of services. As you increase the tasks you increase both the software and hardware configurations necessary to support the project. These ambitious goal will certainly be a challenge to the engineers and programmers.

Edge Computing

Human passengers have travelled in a hyperloop pod for the first time, eight years after Elon Musk first envisioned the futuristic transport. The maiden voyage took place on a 500 meter section of test track built by Virgin Hyperloop outside Las Vegas, Nevada, and lasted just 15 seconds.

Since March, physical distancing and associated lockdowns have dramatically reversed the trend of consumer spending on food. Consumers, forgoing public venues and eating at home, stocked up on groceries and supplies, boosting sales for the month by 29 percent over the prior year. With such increasing demand and Covid disrupted manufacturing logisticians have been challenged to keep supply chains operational.

We are hearing about 5G everywhere these days. What does it mean and how will it affect our industry? 5G is the 5th generation mobile network. It is a new global wireless standard after 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks. 5G enables a new kind of network that is designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together including machines, objects, and devices.

Masks, social distancing and all the other Covid restrictions will be with us for, at least, the foreseeable future. The uptick in home delivery should remain steady since most people have grown accustomed to home delivery and now prefer it. Many retailers are in a fight for their survival. Here’s a look at what to expect.

Donald Trump’s promise to bring back millions of manufacturing jobs was an important element in his surprising electoral victory. Trump was able to win enough blue-collar and normally Democratic voters in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin to cement his Electoral College majority. Bringing back manufacturing to the United States must appeal to nearly everyone. But is it possible? For the last 30 plus years China and similar labor friendly countries have welcomed international manufacturing with open arms. So much so that the dependence upon outsourced manufacturing in the U.S has become both a leverage point manufacturing negotiation as well as a potential Pandora's box of nightmarish dependency.

In todays Logistics business time and performance are key to success. Now more than ever analytics, metrics and key performance indicators are critical components in planning and execution protocols. Today’s logistics market is more demanding than it’s ever been. Businesses across the supply chain are now expected to easily adjust to shipment patterns, predict customers’ buying behaviors, provide on-time deliveries through the most efficient routes possible, and reduce the risks of cargo inventory errors and miscalculations. Predictive analysis allows for advanced planning for future demand based upon historical data. This movement towards anticipatory logistics is already widely accepted among industry decision-makers: A study by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals revealed that 93% of shippers and 98% of third-party logistics firms feel like data-driven decision-making is crucial to supply chain activities, and 71% of them believe that big data improves quality and performance. 

As we slowly emerge from the Corona Virus the industry is experiencing a myriad of changes. Over the past year, the trucking industry has had to react to unprecedented changes in operational and management procedure. Remote personnel present operational challenges. Customer service and sales staff have been reduced significantly. Most everyone in any trucking or logistics company has had to adapt to the new normal. So, what is the new normal today and what can we expect in the coming months and years. There have been numerous things that have impacted the manner in which the industry has functioned and there have been numerous elements that have changed the way work is received within this industry. Let’s examine some trends and try to make some predictions for 2021.

Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers and is traditionally observed on the first Monday in September. It was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century and became a federal holiday in 1894.

It is expected the logistics industry will adopt self-driving vehicles much faster than most other industries. The primary concern for automated motorized vehicles is personnel and property damage liability. Secure areas and minimal personnel mitigate liability risks creating ideal conditions for an automated environment. Also, the grid design of a typical warehouse makes for generally simplified navigation of an automated forklift, for example. The limited and repetitive tasks required to stack and transport pallets does not require complicated programming and sophisticated hardware. With these considerations in mind, it’s possible that a warehouse may be the ideal environment for a completely automated storage and distribution facility. Most high volume warehouse facilities today have some degree of autonomous technology in use. It may require a leap of faith to go to 100% automation.