International Shipping
About two decades back if someone were to tell me that I could buy my favourite shoes and have it shipped from US to India in the comfort of my home, I’d just have a good laugh. The sceptic me wouldn’t have believed that express deliveries meant as little as 2 days. And I’d surely be baffled to learn that when the overall US job market was plummeting, the supply chain industry was hiring, and it was the only one to do so. In fact, an article by Fortune.com began with asking how a $1.3 trillion industry could keep growing? And it has! |
| International Shipping |
According to a report by Integration Point, world trade is expected to increase by four times, right up to $68.5 trillion by 2050. As business blurs geographical borders, the supply chain industry continues to play a vital role in facilitating it. From international shipping and parcel deliveries to express solutions, it’s quite hard to identify a single business that doesn’t use a courier service. In fact, the onset of eCommerce labels has forced even local retail outlets and brands to maintain online shops, along with brick-and-mortar stores. Supply chain solutions have become less of a service and more of an experience. And the 2-day express delivery we discussed earlier? That’s the norm! However, a business doesn’t succeed by offering basic requirements. They are constantly required to up their game with new and innovative offerings & solutions – perhaps by offering free deliveries, an additional thank-you gift of some sort, or the like. Irrespective of how companies plan to introduce marketing elements to their deliveries, it just means more business for the logistics industry! And the big names know this.
In its initial stage, running a successful eCommerce was considered a sound achievement. From clothes and shoes to groceries and wine, customers could access the world with a single click. But as the demand kept piling up, brands started looking for improved options that could help handle the bulk. And enter, automation robots. No kidding! In fact, Amazon has its very own Robotics division. It would surprise you to know that there’s a robot-picking challenge held annually and the 2016 competition was rather tough with the robots picking around 100 items per hour. Now, that’s something!
And if robots weren’t enough, in came the use of AR (Augmented Reality). According to recent reports, DHL has successfully completed an AR pilot of its latest Vision Picking program. The program consists of smart glasses that will provide a visual display. This will direct men on the floor towards the next pick-up by highlighting where the items are located. The Vision Picking program is expected to improve productivity by 15%.
Moving on, there’s a certain measure of ecology that should be implemented. And as of now, a number of leading supply chain services are leaning towards sustainable services, whether in terms of international shipping or express deliveries.
The logistics industry is currently experiencing a boom. While business opportunities are on the rise, so are a growing number of competitors, with each looking to grab the largest slice of pie. And the only way through that is to constantly improve and innovate.
