Logistics and shipping have always been one of the busiest yet rapidly transforming industry sectors that have embraced the latest technologies faster than many other industries. From the adoption of advanced car sensors to the Internet of Things (IoT) gateway and devices or the big data analytics to analyse freight and shipping data, there has been no dearth of successful efforts to incorporate new technologies to boost efficiency in the sector. No wonder logistics solutions developed by mobile app developers played a central role in this technological revolution in the sector.
Logistics as an industry has been at the forefront of the adoption of mobility and mobile apps. From the shipping and logistics brands around the world to the businesses running their own in-house logistics solutions, the adoption of mobile apps has been widespread.
In this context, it is vital to understand the wide-ranging implications of mobile apps for the entire industry. Before we take a look at the key ways mobile apps have transformed the shipping and logistics operations and businesses, an honorary mention to IoT, GPS and AI is in order.
IoT, GPS, and AI
Internets of Things, Global Positioning System (GPS), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have been among the most elementary technologies for the entire logistics sector. Thanks to the connected device ecosystem and the GPS, tracking shipments and on-road vehicles became easier than ever before. No wonder the world’s biggest logistics solution providers are now using IoT and GPS for streamlining and optimizing their processes.
In the past few years, artificial intelligence (AI) has come in a major way to help these two technologies provide more precise output. While connected transport systems can be tracked and the GPS system can deliver precise location information about the transport vehicles, AI technology can process this information along with the traffic data to guide the vehicles to take the best routes. Moreover, AI-based apps can also predict delivery timing more accurately.
Warehouse Management
Human errors have always been a nightmarish factor for the vast majority of logistics and shipping services and companies. Fortunately, thanks to the mobile app-based consolidated management of warehousing data and streamlined processes, the impact of such unwanted errors can largely be avoided now. Mobile apps facilitate automatic processing through logging equipment IDs and include storage information to make the whole system streamlined and friction less. The best thing is, logistics mobile apps can also sync all data with a central database to provide almost a real-time update of the inventories and shipping status.
Shipment Tracking
Thanks to mobile apps, the need to keep checking emails or refreshing the respective merchant website to track the shipment we are likely to receive, has been eliminated. Instant notifications appear on our screens which help in tracking the shipment in real-time. Moreover, the entire process is transparent and informs us about the product shipment and arrival from time to time through mobile notification messages. This ease of keeping track of shipments is great for the user experience of countless customers who order products online. Additionally this also helps boosts the productivity and output of the entire industry sector.
E-commerce Sales
Besides providing better customer experience and greater procedural simplicity, logistics and shipping mobile apps also help in creating more business opportunities simply by aiding to increase total sales across retail and merchant apps and websites. Thanks to the faster and transparent delivery process that allows shipment tracking throughout the process, many retail customers order products online or through mobile apps without the slightest worry over any errors in the entire process. Moreover, the prompt confirmation of an order and notification about the shipment in the delivery process makes the whole process transparent, trustworthy and reliable.
Cost Advantage and Efficiency
The mobile apps for the logistics industry can not only ensure optimum transparency and efficiency but also help reduce the task loads for logistics professionals. For example, the streamlined, transparent delivery process helps reduce the number of phone calls from customers asking for updates and information, as they always remain informed about the progress of the shipment and delivery. This helps the logistics companies to decrease costs by reducing the demand for dedicated and round the clock customer service.
Transport Operations
One of the key advantages of logistics apps is the way they help ease out transport management and operations. Any logistics service needs to handle a fleet of vehicles from various operators and transport services. By using a simple app, the logistics company can manage all these vehicles from various operators and transport services in a seamless manner. This not only saves time and money but also makes the entire process more efficient.
Conclusion
If you’re in the shipping and logistics industry it is now imperative to have a mobile enabled system to manage your business. A customised mobile application solution will go a long way in having a positive impact on your organization. At AppleTech we have the experience and the expertise of building custom mobile apps for all industries including shipping and logistics. Contact us today to see your concept turn into a solution.
