The use of GPS systems within the logistics industry has been around for some time, and brought with it many benefits.
Over the past decade, logistics companies have faced many changes.
Some of these changes are as follows
- Globalization and internationalization
- Rapid advance of information technology
- Increased competition and availability
- Flexibility of products/services greater internal and external customer needs.
As a result, can no longer effectively satisfy its customers various demands with just price and product, but must also increase its performance in the following ways:
- Reaction speed
- Delivery policy
- Information services
- Flexibility
For this reason, in many situations firms are forced to redesign their internal processes by using different methods.
As one option among other possibilities, GPS technology has therefore been recognized as one of the most prevalent facilitator of that process of change.
As a result, we can find in logistics many projects where firms implement advanced GPS technologies.
This has led to increased productivity, lower costs, and fewer errors in the supply chain. Technology is striking every sector of the logistic segment.
Technology Driving the Transformation
Though conventional tracking devices powered by RFID tags(Radio Frequency Identification) and bar codes remain relevant, technology advancement in mobile and satellite technology make it a piece of cake to provide real-time coverage of shipments across the globe using GPS technology.
Lower risks and costs are the two main advantages of using GPS devices in the logistics business.
Although GPS devices have been around for some time now, they continue to change and impact logistics and its future.
The result of this is accurate in-transit transparency for the customer and better delivery of products.
Role Played by Tracking Improvements
The next development that is important in the logistics industry is technology that helps determine the real-time location of vehicles after they have been dispatched.
Gone are the days of hard copy reports, printed maps and many tedious phone calls to manage a delivery.
Modern GPS solutions allow companies to manage the logistics and route planning automatically.
As a result, this also increases efficiency of the entire operation by improving performance and driver safety, as well as lowering administrative resources and costs.
There is also the benefit of a reduction in thefts.
Customer satisfaction is also increased thanks to the tracking in real time of delivery vehicles and accurate estimates of delivery times via live traffic updates.
Outcomes of GPS Accuracy
The accuracy of GPS has improved greatly during the past decade, as devices can interoperate with multiple GNSS systems.
GPS not only will display the location of a vehicle, but also enables fleet management systems.
Fleet managers can create geofences to notify them of when vehicles move past certain locations.
Fleet management systems also optimize route planning using real-time location data and help track drivers timesheets.
Another useful feature that logistics companies utilize is a feature called smart fuel control.
Logistics companies can now monitor
- Speeding
- Harsh acceleration
- Erratic driving
- Abrupt and harsh braking
- Various other activities to improve safety and lower fuel consumption.
Improved Data Capture
Further to this, using GPS technology to capture location data is not a new concept, though harvesting, organizing and storing this data has always been a challenge.
New and improved cloud data processors has made it possible to use this data for analytical purposes.
This data can then be used to provide a detailed status of activities, vehicle errors & statistics, and process flows.
Customer Service Improvements
Finally, a sign of an excellent logistic company is customer service.
These days, almost everyone on & connected through social media.
All these users can help improve operations in the logistics industry & social media has been the easiest and most convenient platform to perform this on.
This can be a blessing and a curse, which is all the more reason to ensure your customer service is on point.
In the past when a customer did not know where a shipment was, today because of GPS they can receive regular updates as part of their social media feed.
A customer can track down to the minute where a shipment is and when it is arriving.
This has the benefit of eliminating nearly all the ambiguity that made logistics cumbersome and irksome in the past.
As a result of being able to receive constant updates on the location of their shipment, trust between enterprises, shippers and consumers has increased.
Many companies are now re-thinking their business models such as logistics to incorporate GPS into it.
We are living in should be the golden age of technology.
It is the responsibility of logistics companies to embrace these developments as they arise; to adapt and incorporate.
This is necessary for them to remain relevent, enhance their efficiency and to remain competitive in the market.
Technology is indeed changing the future of the logistics industry today.