Although new trends in logistics emerge every year, especially since the digitization of the sector, there are times when a new development marks a before and after, as has happened in 2023 with the popularization of tools based on artificial intelligence. Its impact on logistics, as in many other sectors, has been so profound that it will continue to be the dominant pattern in this year’s trends. What will these trends be?
1. Artificial intelligence: the logistics of the future
The application of artificial intelligence to logistics management, especially to the supply chain, will be increasing, and will cover more areas. In fact, according to a Gartner report, by 2026 more than 80% of companies will be using AI-powered applications in production environments. What are the areas where it is expected to have the greatest impact?
- Inventory management: AI algorithms can forecast future product demand and optimize inventory levels. This prevents both stock-outs and overproduction.
- Demand forecasting: Historical sales data and external factors, such as seasonal events or promotions, can be analyzed to predict future demand more accurately.
- Quality control: Machine vision and machine learning systems can be used to visually inspect products and detect defects more quickly and accurately than manual systems that rely on people.
- Robotics and automation: Robots and automated systems can be programmed with AI algorithms to perform picking, packing and sorting tasks in warehouses and distribution centers efficiently.
- Decision support: Analysis of large data sets enables logistics managers to make informed decisions about supply chain management and resource allocation.
- Tracking and traceability: AI can be used to track the location and status of products in real time throughout the supply chain, improving visibility and responsiveness.
- Route optimization: Analysis of real-time data, such as traffic and weather conditions, enables calculation of the most efficient routes for delivery vehicles.
- Reverse logistics: AI can help in the efficient management of returns and used or unwanted products, identifying the best return routes and reconditioning processes.
2. Automation: striving for continuous efficiency improvement
Automation remains one of the workhorses of logistics. Technologies that automate tasks and processes are essential to improve efficiency, increase speed and reduce costs along the entire supply chain.
For example, RFID technology is applied to warehouse management to automate the traceability and receipt of goods. Automated systems are also used for transport, storage and handling in warehouses, such as intelligent carts and lockers, which facilitate the management of goods.
This is especially interesting with regard to storage and retrieval tasks per se, as these are two of the tasks that have the highest cost for the warehouse, and where more human errors can occur if the system is not automated.
On the other hand, for automation to be truly efficient, it is essential that it be integrated with a warehouse management system that centralizes data and allows access to information in real time.
3. Ecologistics: towards a holistic conception of sustainability in logistics
Sustainability has long defined many of the actions in logistics, but the future trend will be towards total integration. In other words, companies will not only try to make their processes or products more sustainable, but any action, from the renovation or purchase of an industrial building to the design of a product or the definition of a production process, will be based on sustainable criteria from its conception. Green logistics will no longer be just an area of logistics, but will become a cross-cutting discipline.
For example, it will no longer only try to reduce packaging or recycle it, but it will be conceived as a circular economy system that takes into account the origin of the raw materials used to manufacture the packaging, the use of packaging materials with low environmental impact, and the reuse of leftover materials or waste.
More effort will also be applied to optimizing transport routes, where the definition of sustainable routes – that is, routes that reduce harmful emissions – will eventually carry as much weight as the criteria of speed of delivery and reduced transport costs.
Other actions that will gain weight will be energy efficiency, the implementation of environmental management systems, and greater collaboration between the different members of the supply chain, such as suppliers, transporters, distributors and customers, to share information, resources and best practices, and coordinate joint actions to improve sustainability.
In summary, in 2024 technology will remain the cornerstone of the logistics sector, but in addition artificial intelligence will have an impact that will profoundly transform this sector.
