DATA AND ANALYSIS
DATA IN LOGISTICS : THE BENEFITS ARE CLEAR TO SEE
Clarity , cost and efficiency in logistics can all be improved with effective data analytics and governance — particularly when navigating COVID-19
WRITTEN BY : RHYS THOMAS
Logistics networks have endured Kafkaesque turmoil in the past 12 months . More strained , more complex and yet , more critical than ever , they are the most visible link in the supply chain and have kept the world moving even as COVID-19 brought many of us to an abrupt halt .
But COVID-19 threw even the most detail oriented roadmaps for a loop . Long-term plans to improve efficiencies alongside the steady growth in consumer e-commerce deliveries were found to be too slow , as millions of people confined to their homes turned to online retail for their necessities and entertainment . The boom in online and omni-channel retail continues to place almost daily increases in demand on logistics professionals , and the growing fleet of lastmile delivery vehicles .
Meanwhile B2B operations raise their own unique set of hurdles . As some industries — mainly those tied to the COVID-19 safety and relief efforts - sought increased capacity , demand in other sectors like tourism and dining , those that once commanded a stable percentage of logistics networks , reduced to a low simmer at best , and stagnancy at worst .
These compounding issues strained logistics networks and placed professionals under further pressures to adapt and deliver even as borders locked down , ports became clogged with backlogs and even the fundamental functions required a plan B , C and D . But there has been one effective weapon in combatting these fluctuations : data , which provides the clarity to not only plan and proactively approach these issues as they emerge - because if COVID-19 taught us anything , it ’ s that issues will and do arise - but to be predictive and prescriptive , to dictate and pre-load response systems to smooth out the bumps in the road before they send operations off course .
86 April 2021