Revamp your Logistics Management system by integrating IoT and GPS technology

Before going forward, let’s first apprehend what logistics management is.

Logistics management is an elementary factor that ensures the success of business operations, and squarely impacts the bottom line through seamless planning, controlling and moving the goods and services from origin to destination.

By perusing the logistics management definition, the logistics management seems a piece of cake. However, in reality, it’s quite complex and crucial as it involves the flow and storage of goods into and out of the business, which has a direct effect on business revenue. Besides, with the increasing customer demands and the need for providing faster and quality services, managing the logistics with traditional methods has become beyond the bounds of possibility.

All the issues can be iron out embracing internet of things technology. By making IoT a central nervous system of the logistic system, the entire logistics value chain from warehousing operations to freight shipping to the last-mile delivery will enjoy the far-reaching payoffs.

With IoT app development, the businesses will have complete visibility and control over every logistic activity that improves the operational efficiency, safety, security, and customer experience in an amazing way.

With the pervasive presence of mobile, RFID tags, actuators, GPS sensors, Bluetooth low energy sensor, Wi-Fi direct, and consumerization of IT, the sensor-based technology is gaining grounds across the diverse industry verticals. In logistic space, IoT is promising the transformational shift with the logistic process automation that eliminates manual interventions, improves the quality and lowers the cost with predictive analytics.

By revolutionizing the way people, process, and assets connect, collaborate and work together, the technology has unfolded a slew of opportunities. In essence, the sensing technology makes sense for the logistics management with higher transparency, integrity control, and real-time insights.

Let’s take a look at the benefits that convergence of IoT and logistic trends offer:

Capacity sensing

The logistics service providers have to lease more buildings, especially during the holiday season to meet the customers’ demands on time. However, the traditional fork lifting and inventory management most often won’t make use of the complete warehouse space efficiently because the frequent to and fro trips between stacking shelf and container leaves a lot of space vacant in the warehouses. Also, the inefficiency in picking up and putting away the items slow down the operation speed and maximize the storage operation cost.

The IoT is the best solution for the logistics providers scrambling for more space with warehouse capacity sensing, space optimization, and better space utilization.  According to research, the IoT-powered warehouse storage capacity is increased by 400% compared to the traditional forklift operations.

The sensors outfitted in the warehouse communicate the information regarding vacant space and even make the suggestions to reorganize the shelves to accommodate more items. Additionally, the IoT sensors embedded with forklift speed up the inventory related decision-making.

Related: 8 Types of Sensors that are Quintessential to Build an IoT App

Planning and reporting

The in-transit visibility of the shipment in the logistic is as important as the in-house visibility of the warehouse operations. Knowing the updates for delivery location of consignments is not all-important because when the freight in-transit gets lost or when looted, the staff will be clueless due to the lack of real-time status updates about the shipment. Also, if the picker is not available at the defined location, then consignment may need to deliver at another spot. The unavailability of the information creates a lot of confusion.

With IoT and GPS sensors embedded in the trucks provide the real-time updates to the staff regarding the location of the truck, the time for which the truck was standing idle and any repair it needs with malfunctioning detection. The real-time reporting enables the staff to take the actions ahead of the time and then plan accordingly. The on-time reporting gives a piece of mind to the staff in managing the shipment.

Real-time traceability

With IoT, not just tracking of the vehicles or shipments becomes a breeze; mapping the shortest route for the vehicle is also possible. It significantly reduces the time and fuel consumption.

According to research, the route optimization with IoT technology eliminates 175 grams of carbon emission produced for every mile traveled by the vehicle thereby reducing the carbon footprint. 

The connected vehicles get the information regarding traffic congestion, open routes or weather condition through sensors before reaching the place. The crucial data that’s dynamically changing enable the drivers to find the most viable route that lets them reach the destination safely and efficiently. Moreover, tracking the number of the units of the shipments in the vehicle is also possible that avoid theft issues in-transit.

Seoul City Transportation Information Centre (TOPIS) is the best example to consider. It provides efficient public transportation services by gathering and managing the data from streets, buses, taxis, and citizens using GPS devices, loop detectors, road sensors, and video. The system has increased transit efficiency, reduced traffic and improved customer satisfaction as the travelers have access to the bus route schedule 24/7.

Energy management

In the warehouse and in-transit, there are many items that have particular temperature and pressure needs, which must be met to keep the items fresh until they reach the destination. Many times, the lighting, cooling, or heating is constantly provided, but the inefficient energy management leads to wastage of energy.

With Logistics Management Software Solutions, the businesses can reduce the energy consumption by a huge margin. The IoT-powered logistics analyze the cooling, heating, and pressure with the sensors, and then automatically switch on the power, adjust the temperature or shut down the power for smart energy utilization.

With an automated energy management system, the right set of conditions can be maintained for the shipment according to the environmental conditions.

Enhance performance

Be it in the transit or in the warehouse, the items are prone to unauthorized opening of the shipments that hurts the logistic service provider’s reputation and even sometimes results in a theft. With IoT-powered pallet packaging, the sensors can detect the illegal attempt of opening the shipping containers and thereby prevent the theft possibilities.

Using IoT sensors, the health of the fleet of vehicles can be continuously monitored and compared with the standard performance. When any irregularity or drop in the performance is found, the diagnostic alerts are sent, in case, the fault detected in the system to initiate the required action. It alleviates the vehicle maintenance needs and improves the uptime as the problem is rectified before it creates a major damage to the vehicle. Also, the worst impact of delayed assistance in the form of more damage to the machine or high downtime is reduced with the prompt alert and fault rectification on vigilant monitoring.

According to research, the IOT solutions are important in diminishing the repair expenses by 12%, maintenance expense by 30%, and downtime by 70%.

In this manner, accelerating IoT adoption drives efficiency, excellence and cut the expenses smartly with proactive detection and prevention of theft and fault in the vehicle or consignment.

Takeaway

The breadth of the benefits underscores how IoT is influencing the logistics space and its economy, and presaging the calamitous changes coming to the logistics industry. It makes challenging the traditional business models essential to increase productivity and offer new services that modern customers expect.

For re-engineering the existing process in the end-to-end logistics cycle, all the players of logistics have to work closely with a great collaboration and cooperation to tap the bountiful opportunities that IoT is offering.

“The Internet of Things represents $1.9T in Value at Stake for the logistics industry over the next ten years” Rob Siegers, President of Global Technology at DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation.

The sizzling pace of services related to mobile technology innovation and high proliferation of sensor-based devices are stimulating the incredible change in the logistics context. It’s a boon for the logistics space as 30% of the assets and operations are already connected. By making a practical approach to IoT app development the lifeline of the industry, the unconnected things will become connected and things which were like herding cats can be better managed. Push the envelope leveraging IoT to enjoy the breathtaking results and take control of your business.

Hardik Shah

As the tech-savvy Project Manager at Prismetric, his admiration for app technology is boundless though!He writes widely researched articles about the app development methodologies, codes, technical project management skills, app trends, and technical events. Inventive mobile applications and Android app trends that inspire the maximum app users magnetize him deeply to offer his readers some remarkable articles.