Through optimal transportation paths, AI and automation-powered solutions transformed planning and prediction in the supply chain industry
By Gaurav Mangla
In the past few years, supply chains have been disrupted due to various factors such as evolving customers’ demands, the emergence of online shopping platforms, Covid-19, digitization, etc. Considering these, businesses witnessed changes in customer purchasing habits as e-commerce rose to prominence.
As a result, many companies felt obligated to transform their B2B and B2C processes. Also, many offers by global companies such as one-day delivery, same-day delivery, 10-minute delivery, etc., have changed the consumers’ expectations too.
Already teetering on the brink of collapse, such abrupt shifts further strain the global supply chain system. According to a 2020 McKinsey & Co. report, about 85 percent of global supply chains faced a reduction in operations during the pandemic, and around 6 percent shut down completely.
This sudden shift led to unprecedented delays and operational challenges. Many logistics operators were already struggling to cope with the disruptions. There were no pre-defined strategies in place to deal with severe risks. However, digital transformation empowered logistics leaders to put customers first, be flexible and proactive in their operations, automate processes like never before, and prepare for the future of work by modernizing systems and infrastructures.
Through optimal transportation paths, AI and automation-powered solutions transformed planning and prediction in the supply chain industry. The all-in-one dashboard offered by the tech-based logistics players has empowered the brands to keep track of their entire shipping journey in one place. Big Data, Internet of Things (IoT), and AI-powered solutions collect data to help create decision-based algorithms and best-in-class operations and service management forecasts.
Digital transformation makes operations better coordinated between companies across global supply chains. With the adoption of intelligent technology, the companies reduce human resources requirements for repetitive, transactional processes and workflows related to finding out the availability of transportation at any given point of time, time taken for particular routes, the turnaround time for delivery of goods to the destination, etc.
Automation processes in the creation of critical documents such as transportation receipts, proof of delivery (POD); digital payment solutions such as debit/credit cards, UPI-based payments, netbanking, the introduction of virtual fuel cards, etc., has offered the much-needed visibility and transparency in financial transactions, driving one step closer to contact-less logistics.
This change has been a catalyst to garner a 360-degree view of their business operations across ecosystems, harness big data for better insights, and forecast deliveries required to meet customer expectations.
Businesses are already taking advantage of automated data collection. Predictive analytics tools provide real-time insights generated from the data on logistics operations and ensure data-driven supply chain execution and real-time delivery of alerts for managers to take action in case any disruption occurs.
Increased adoption of cloud computing infrastructures across industries will enable innovation, scale-up capabilities, and facilitate reduced cost structures for organizations. On the operational front, digital transformation enables companies to stay afloat in an increasingly competitive environment by reducing costs, improving customer experience and turning their drivers into tangible business assets.
Tech-enabled logistics companies like Pickrr have already geared up with the right tools to scale their businesses and support their seller base. They keep scaling their businesses by expanding into newer territories by leveraging AI and Big Data technologies. They target matching the expectations of their customers by being adaptable and proactive in their approach.
Although technology will never be the complete solution to all issues at hand, when it comes to solving global supply chain challenges, high predictability in operations can help companies find ways to manage times of crisis with less stress and anxiety. With the technology tools available at their disposal today, logistics companies are better prepared to deal with any disruptions that may arise during periods of crisis or routine operations.
