5G and blockchain are just some of the technologies that have become more established and mature in 2021. The 4.0 wave is getting bigger and companies will have to learn how to surf it to survive.
Throughout 2021, different trends have been established that have marked the logistics DNA with technology. In the last twelve months, it has become clear that the sector is increasingly focused on the 4.0 world, a universe in which innovations are essential for survival.
Many logistics companies have reached 2022 thanks to the stability and flexibility that these on-trend solutions have brought to the supply chain. The uncertainty caused by the pandemic has driven the industry to rely on and implement such innovations.
Here are the five trends that have been best integrated into the logistics network in 2021:
I. 5G technology
The advent of fifth generation wireless technology has become a reality for many companies in the last year, increasing the speed of uploading and downloading. Thanks to 5G, it is possible to know the status of every stage of the supply chain in real time.
II. Automation of intralogistics processes
Intralogistics automation has become one of the must-haves for improving efficiency and profitability in the warehouse. In addition, by implementing a customised WMS, processes are executed in an intelligent, connected and automatic way.
Automation in the picking process is one of the most consolidated. Thanks to the implementation of automated solutions in this link, it has been possible to improve and optimise intralogistics throughout 2021. Thus, thanks to automation, logistics is much better prepared to continue to function correctly in the face of any new challenge or peak demand.
III. Sustainable vehicles
During 2021, climate change has been one of the most important issues addressed both nationally and internationally. As a result, the demand for cleaner vehicles is now more pressing than ever. The implementation of such vehicles is often accompanied by a comprehensive carbon footprint measurement in order to achieve the targets of the Agenda 2030.
IV. Last mile solutions: lockers and Click & Collect
Flexibility in the supply chain is indispensable, especially in the last mile. For today's consumers, having the option of collection via lockers or Click & Collects is already a prerequisite.
These solutions not only benefit the consumer, but also the logistics company by saving fuel (by depositing several orders at the same point) and, on the other hand, by avoiding the costs of the inevitable missed deliveries due to the absence of the customer at home.
V. Blockchain technology
This year the blockchain has been used massively by companies to make the exchange of data and information more secure, faster and more transparent. This technology is made up of a set of interconnected computers or nodes that are governed by a common protocol, whose purpose is to validate and store the same information in a peer-to-peer (P2P) network.
Thanks to this system, every time a device enters new data, it is transmitted in encrypted form to the entire network to be validated individually. Moreover, as each node acts as a data verifier, it is impossible to carry out any kind of manipulation of the information.
In this way, the implementation of blockchain in logistics has made communication between the different actors in the supply chain more secure, transparent and efficient.
In short, the technologies that have become most established in 2021 have been essentially technological for one reason: the 4.0 wave is unstoppable and the logistics industry will have to adapt to meet the growing demand at a global level.
