The development of individual sectors of the economy is heavily influenced by new technologies. What trends will stimulate the transformation of the logistics sector?
Martyna Zdziarska, Institute of Logistics and Warehousing: More and more ICT tool providers are focusing on offering complex solutions that enable efficient data exchange and process integration, not only within the enterprise but also between supply chain participants. Currently, many solutions are offered in the cloud or using electronic data interchange platforms. It is also important that the software is tailored to customer needs and that its use should be user-friendly.
Today, we are all witnessing the fourth industrial revolution, the most characteristic feature of which is the blurring of the barrier between humans and machines and the use of the Internet of Things and cloud computing. Industry 4.0 is the integration of systems and the creation of networks, as well as the integration of people with digitally controlled machines that use the Internet and information technology. Virtual reality, the Internet of Things, and 5G networks are the trends and technologies that will have the greatest impact on the transformation of the telecommunications sector in 2018. We can expect changes related to the development of standards and the testing of 5G systems and machine networking. The increasing number of devices and sensors in the Internet of Things ecosystem, the implementation of “Software-Defined Networking” (SDN) and SD-WAN technologies will bring the most important market changes in the corporate segment and network architectures for many years to come. Therefore, when discussing current ICT solutions and recommendations for IT system developers, current trends must be taken into account: Industry 4.0, cybersecurity, automated data collection, analytical methods – Big Data, cloud computing, APIs, the Internet of Things, and Blockchain.
The listed trends within ICT technologies supporting supply chain management are examples of trends whose selection and implementation are conditioned by the scope of operations and the degree of integration between participants in the logistics process. This significantly affects the possibilities of applying a chosen technology to increase process efficiency, broadly understood data analytics, and facilitate contacts between business partners and customers. The development of new distribution channels, along with the dynamization of ICT technologies in the supply chain, are becoming a driving force that allows for the creation of a new, integrated approach to logistics.