Opening the first session of TLME’s Future-Proof Technologies Conference held recently in Dubai, conference moderator and industry thought leader Lars Jensen asked the panel where transport and logistics operations stand today in terms of automation and digitalisation? And what would be a realistic outlook for automation in the industry over the next two or three years?
Agreeing with his co-panellists Erik Lund, SVP Logistics Solutions at Nexxiot, said that he saw a significant amount of digitalisation across several industries.
Customers from these industries wanted their cargo carriers to also digitalise so that as cargo owners they can profit further from the benefits of digitalisation across the supply chain.
Cargo carriers - particularly large shipping lines - for their part, were going paperless, gathering data and providing the same to customers at every stage of operations so that bottle necks can be identified and systems rectified.
Smaller shipping lines also needed to digitalise so they can add value to services rather than being just foundational service providers.
Cargo carriers need to rethink their own operations in order to be a part of an emerging global digital supply chain, Mr Lund concluded.