Keeping the Maritime Shipping Industry Afloat with Automated Logistics
Scott Udell
IoT and Machine Learning are revolutionizing global logistics
Logistics , the business of moving goods and material to be in the right place at the right time - and at the right cost - is one of the world ’ s oldest industries . Outstanding logistics networks enabled the expansion of the Greek Empire , and one can argue that stretching its logistics network too far contributed heavily to its decline . The legacy of that strong logistics network , however , remains , and Greece is still a world leader in the maritime movement of goods .
Fast forward a couple thousand years and our expectations have accelerated on all fronts : product lifecycles have dramatically shortened .
Consumers expect significantly improved electronic devices every 12 months ( or less ), and a lack of inventory or an inability to provide two-day global shipping can quickly lead to short-term lost business or even long-term client loss due to platform switching decisions ( think Android vs . iOS ).
“ Fast Fashion ” has completely disrupted the traditional apparel business which used to rely on predictable , 12-month planning / manufacturing / delivery cycles . Retailers and manufacturers that get product to market faster and cheaper - and then quickly move on to the next wave - are the ones that are succeeding while traditional integrated brands lose market share .
It is no coincidence that these trends are emerging at the same time that the global shipping industry is facing tremendous margin pressure .
Every player in the logistics network is looking for better visibility . And in order to better understand the complexity and breadth of the challenge , it is helpful to understand how the industry classifies the many actors involved in the process .
60 | THE DOPPLER | SUMMER 2017