Location forecast: what are some of tomorrow's fleet trends businesses could adopt today?

Anyone hoping disruption would improve in logistics in 2022 as lockdowns eased would have been disappointed. But the world of transportation & logistics has also seen a lot of innovation.

Technology can help organizations tackle those challenges and rise to meet new consumer demands — HERE360 examined some of the key trends in the sector.

A fair share

Complex supply chains generate thousands of data points, but often the communication between them is inefficient or non-existent. However, that appears to be changing. When everyone has access to historical, live and predictive analytics data, it becomes easier to optimize the whole journey — and to gain visibility throughout the supply chain.

We saw Pfizer do this to help get its vaccine out globally during COVID-19, with automated alerts available to multiple parties. Expect to see more organizations share vital information — in a secure way — in one ecosystem going forward.

Cutting carbon

As deliveries increase and providers seek to complete orders quickly to satisfy customers, the high volume and frequency of shipments can generate more carbon emissions. To meet these expectations and get ahead of disruption, we have seen orders placed earlier than ever this year.

Businesses are revealing information about their carbon footprint and finding ways to measure and ultimately reduce it as a result. One of the most effective ways of doing this is to integrate real-time visibility into the supply chain. This can cut the number of wasted trips, and save on fuel and time, meaning that sustainability and efficiency are intrinsically tied together rather than opposed.

And retailers are coming up with innovative solutions. As HERE360 covered earlier this year, getting consumers to take their returns back to physical stores is one way of cutting emissions while encouraging shoppers back into brick-and-mortar locations. Watch this space for more of the same next year.

Probabilistic modeling

As more and more data are collected in the supply chain, they can be used to build a picture of what happens over time. What are the patterns, when is demand at its heaviest, and what are the factors that tend to go wrong when there are delays?

This kind of predictive analytics won't mitigate entirely against unpredictable events such as weather disasters or pandemics, but it will take away some uncertainty. Testing potential scenarios using digital twins or probabilistic modeling helps enterprises to figure out a Plan B and analyze the variables that can disrupt supply chains.

The rise of the super app

China's WeChat app boasts 1.3bn users and has a gaming facility, payments and eCommerce along with its chat dimension. The convenience of finding all these services in one place has meant the appeal of super apps has grown well beyond the region.

Elon Musk has talked about turning Twitter into a super app.

Meanwhile, in the Middle East, Mrsool has brought an element of gamification into online deliveries, creating a bidding system between couriers and customers. With plans to launch payments and even small business advice in the app, Mrsool's story proves that super apps are here to stay.