DHL, the global logistics provider, reveals 26 key trends that could impact the logistics sector over the next five to ten years. The new Logistics Trend Radar for 2016, the third in a pioneering series, describes entirely new trends, tracks the development of trends discovered in previous editions, as well as those that have disappeared or become significant since the first edition of the report in 2013.
– Predicting new trends is always a challenging task. It is difficult to determine in advance which trends will have a long-term impact on business operations and which will only be part of a short-term trend. To be able to identify and understand trends in the early stages of their development, we created the Logistics Trend Radar, which helps us and our customers stay up to date – says Markus Kückelhaus, Vice President of Innovation and Trend Research at DHL.
The Logistics Trend Radar 2016 publication presents valuable insights and information regarding ongoing transformations and the latest trends that could influence the future of logistics – from macro trends such as the changing energy and trade landscape, to micro trends such as new logistics startups disrupting the logistics sector. The report describes in detail which sectors will be affected by events and the timeframes of potential impacts or will undergo transformation over the next decade.
Artificial intelligence and personalization are behind most of the most transformative trends in the 2016 report – including smart supply chains using self-learning or machine learning systems. The impact exerted by data-driven autonomous supply chains ensures the achievement of previously unattainable levels of optimization. This applies to manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, and last-mile delivery processes, which could be implemented in less than half a decade despite high setup costs delaying early adoption in logistics.
Changing consumer behavior and the desire for personalization are behind two other major trends regarding Batch Size One and On-demand Delivery. Set to have a significant impact on logistics, on-demand delivery will allow consumers to have their purchases delivered at a place and time of their choosing through the use of flexible courier services. The Batch Size One option explores what could happen if consumer demand for highly personalized products aligns with mass production within upcoming and rapidly changing supply chains, requiring logistics service providers to act quickly and respond flexibly to changes in the time and place of production.
– The key trends included in this year’s edition of the Logistics Trend Radar could change the global logistics sector, and with 15 out of 26 trends likely to have an impact within the next five years, it is very important that all entities involved in supply chain management and logistics understand these potentially breakthrough events and implications for their own businesses or the sector now – says Matthias Heutger, Senior Vice President of Strategy, Marketing and Innovation at DHL.
The Logistics Trend Radar is a dynamic and universal tool for planning future scenarios, developing strategies, and innovation among professional logistics entities. Developed by DHL Trend Research, the 2016 publication includes an in-depth analysis of emerging trends and impacts by sector. Furthermore, it contains an analysis of current trends, as well as insights from industry thought leaders such as the World Bank, Fraunhofer Institute, HP, and 500 startups regarding the future of the logistics sector.
The report also highlights breakthrough pilot projects developed by DHL Trend Research, such as DHL’s testing of collaborative robots in warehouse operations. All trends have been subjected to more detailed analysis in the report, along with key opportunities, challenges, implementation information, and timeframes; the report is available for free at www.dhl.com/trendradar.