2022 turned out to be a very particular year for the logistics and transport sector.
After the long pandemic period, which also brought about important changes within this sector, a huge international critical situation reared its ugly head from the energy perspective. This has and still is making things difficult for companies.
Containing costs is therefore an even more important goal today for those involved in transport and accompanies other fixed objectives such as the ability to guarantee greater safety and eliminate time-wasting.
It is well-known that these goals can be achieved by using dedicated software to manage the various stages of the process, from those at the warehouse level to those relating to the movement of goods, without forgetting the software for shift management, the dematerialised management of transport documents and so on.
But more can be done: even greater benefits can be reaped by opting for an integrated software solution, which is therefore capable of systematizing all the data and making even the most complex procedures simple.
With a single integrated solution in fact, it becomes possible to manage all the phases of the Supply Chain, as well as take care of personnel management, with modules capable of effectively sharing the data collected.
The trend: constant development of technology in logistics services
Technological development in particular is playing an essential role within all services related to logistics. In fact, information technology and computerized solutions are involved, for example, in packaging management (54%) and in the feeding of production systems (39%), as well as in product transformation processes (26%).
Within this scenario, a particularly important role is played by the services related to environmental sustainability.
One good example is packaging pooling and solutions related to the circular economy (17%), but also customer service (21%) and technical assistance (31%), the latter aspects particularly linked to the reality of e-commerce, which are also (obviously) strongly connected to logistics.
Software for tracking vehicles and goods
The crucial point within an integrated solution for the transport and logistics sector is undoubtedly the software for the planning, tracking and control of vehicles and incoming, stopping and outgoing goods.
Thanks to tools of this type, it is always possible to have a complete view of one’s yards and warehouses and of the movements in progress. In particular, the most advanced systems make it possible to record both the internal and external traceability of goods thanks to safe and effective RFID devices, which transmit all data to a central software able to guarantee the control of all movements from a single interface, thus significantly reducing the possibility of error.
The dematerialisation of materials, from the transport documents onwards
Digitization passes through document dematerialisation in the logistics sector too. This could not be otherwise, given the main objectives of companies whose business is transport, which are to reduce times and costs.
Dematerialising the transport documents allows you to cut expenses and optimize timing, and, at the same time, always have full information at your fingertips, in order to trace the movements and obviously reduce the environmental impact.
The advantages gained are considerable, since the best software solutions enable businesses, for example, to:
- save space: no more bulky paper archives
- gain an economic advantage: there is no longer any need to bear the costs of paper, toners, ink etc.
- achieve net time savings: in fact, the time spent printing and filing paper documents is saved
- streamline the management of all documents, especially as regards the unprecedented possibility of consulting them remotely and from any device (an increasingly important need in an age of remote working).
Software solutions for logistics 4.0
We also find a notable software and technological implementation in the field of logistics 4.0, with particular reference to the possible applications for warehousing.
In this sector, all the technologies of the IOT (Internet of Things) play a leading role, because thanks to the use of particular hardware tools it is possible to record all the data relating to the means of the supply chain.
These data are then collected and analysed by the software applications, which propose solutions designed to optimize processes and improve efficiency via smart AI, so as to essentially guarantee four main benefits:
- An increase in productivity, thanks to extended automation
- Improvement of traceability (thanks to the greater volume of data available)
- An increase in safety, as smoother and more efficient processes limit the potential risks
- A considerable general saving for companies that adopt the 4.0 logistics solutions
Ultimately, the use of software and technological solutions dedicated to automation for logistics allows more streamlined processes that save time and money, with an estimated cost reduction of around 30%.
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