Technology seems to be evolving at breakneck speed these days. The past couple of decades has seen a cosmic shift in the way that we interact with the world, driven primarily by the rise of the internet and the digital era.
These changes have had an influence on every single industry, including logistics. With a rising number of challenges facing the logistics niche, it’s important that providers look to the future for any possible advantages and solutions that may be waiting. Here, we look at what will likely be the driving force behind the next technological revolution - artificial intelligence.
Autonomous vehicles
Self-driving cars have been a dream of science fiction enthusiasts for years now, but we’re on the brink of seeing it actually happen. The technologies already exist, it’s just a question of AI and infrastructure developing to levels where it can be rolled out on a larger scale.
It’s likely that in the next decade, we’ll see driverless vehicles start to enter the logistics industry. This will also depend on the regulations of individual countries catching up, but it’s only a question of time.
Route planning and smart roads
As roads become increasingly busy, logistics providers need to be looking for ways to optimise route planning. While a knowledgeable individual can do a good job, when an AI route planner has instant access to traffic trends and road closures, a human will never be able to plan as efficiently.
As smart roads become increasingly popular, and the data surrounding traffic trends get more and more detailed, the science of route planning will reach new heights, massively increasing efficiency at multiple levels.
Automated warehouses
With smart loading systems it’s looking incredibly probable that in the future, warehouses will approach full automation. While initially, there will still be human elements to run those machines, eventually a number of roles will be taken over by AI, which many believe will result in a steady rise in overall warehouse safety due to a decline in human error.
AI will be able to plan how inventory should be processed and stored, while analysing information with a high degree of accuracy. AI will also be able to combine data from multiple storage sites, optimising how and where certain items are stored, based on national and international demand trends.
Forecasting
An incredibly important element of the logistics industry consists of forecasting both demand and supply chain issues. As we’ve seen lately, increasingly volatile political and economic factors are causing a number of bottlenecks, while simultaneously leading to less predictable demand patterns.
AI will be able to analyse data in an incredibly effective manner, spotting patterns that a human would likely miss.
These are just a few applications of artificial intelligence in the logistics industry. AI will likely become integrated into every single step of the process, fundamentally changing the way that we tackle problems. Staying ahead of the curve will be what allows certain companies to remain competitive, while others inevitably fall behind.
