Taking Stock Of A Changing Industry

As warehouses become the engine room of the logistics operation, it is increasingly imperative for supply chain operators to embrace next-generation intelligent automation, IoT, smart platforms and workforce productivity solutions.

Consumer demands have dramatically changed expectations for operational efficiency, meaning robotics and AI have already made their mark on e-commerce fulfillment and goods distribution. This trend continues to gather pace, with 4 million robots forecasted to be operational in global warehouses by 2025.

Thanks to asset tracking and the deployment of machine learning at the supply chain management level, intelligence and visibility have also become critical success factors for supply chain excellence, from the first mile to the last. The role of the human worker is also undergoing constant change as innovation continues across technologies such as augmented reality, voice-directed solutions and location tracking, resulting in the smooth integration of human and machine. As these technology trends drive the industry forward, they also disrupt the traditional relationships between goods producers, owners and transporters, shifting the dynamics of the logistics value chain.

Supply Chain Disruption Vs. Adoption

Amidst the backdrop of more distributed, complex and competitive supply chain operations, companies face the additional challenge of technological disruption and adoption, which threaten to displace market leaders and even entire market segments.

Balancing the risk and reward of early adoption is only one challenge among many, however. Successfully implementing a forward-thinking automation strategy must take into account a wide variety of practical factors including cost, scalability, flexibility, product assortment, legacy technical infrastructure, enterprise IT systems, and the human workforce.

Above all, the interconnected logistics network of the future must integrate intelligence from a wide variety of data sources and applications within the IoT network. Combining industrial, enterprise and consumer IoT in to one unified operation that can dynamically respond to changes in demand and situational conditions is the biggest challenge warehouse and logistics operators face today.

Intelligence For The Logistics & Warehousing Industry

ABI Research helps warehouse and logistics operators and supply chain technology vendors by helping them understand how technological developments are impacting the market from an operational and commercial perspective. Through qualitative analyses and market data forecasts, our research helps companies plan effective go-to-market strategies, gain crucial competitive intelligence, plan strategic product roadmaps and prepare for future trends.

Through a future-focused research program, ABI Research helps logistics and warehousing companies answer business-critical questions, such as:

• How can various supply chain stakeholders work together to extract the most value from various logistics and warehousing technologies?
• How do technology vendors and solution providers differ in their technology portfolio and commercial strategies?
• How can warehouse automation be augmented by the human workforce and vice versa?
• How will supply chain technology markets grow over the next decade and in which industries and regions will the most significant changes occur
• Which adjacent technologies will affect the products and solutions we develop and use?