PRESS RELEASE: CartonCloud Logistics Industry Report Shows Tech Adoption on the Rise

Innovation in logistics technology is in the spotlight as logistics companies strive to meet increasing customer demands while dealing with rising operational costs — and it’s not just larger companies who are investing.

According to the latest CartonCloud Logistics Index (CCLI) Report, there is high intent for logistics operators across Australia, New Zealand and North America are turning to innovative industry technology in order to overcome rising costs and meet customer demands in the coming year.

Of almost 2,000 respondents surveyed from across a range of roles and operations,
– 27% said their business would be likely to invest in artificial intelligence/ machine learning in the coming months,
– 26% in 3D resource planning,
– and 23% in robotics and automation.

“The world of logistics has moved to the digital realm and the digitisation of the logistics industry has grown significantly in recent years,” said CartonCloud COO/ Head of North America Shaun Hagen.

“We’re seeing companies of all sizes gaining access to niche and specialised technology,” he said.

“This quarter’s report highlighted how companies are utilising multiple software platforms to build unique tech stacks that reflect the needs of their companies and their customers.

“The past few years have seen logistics technology adoption accelerate, especially following the e-commerce and omnichannel ordering boom accelerated by the global pandemic. Data tracking and sharing, and optimisation through using software solutions has become a must-have for all logistics operators, especially smaller businesses trying to compete with the larger players.

“The findings of this Q1 report show there is a strong industry appetite for technological innovation, and this is no longer confined to the larger players in the industry — small-medium sized businesses are also investing in software to run their businesses and let them offer more to their customers.”

Alongside technical investments, companies are also focusing on how they can collect and share data, making outsourcing and industry partnerships more prominent.

With demand increasing and customer expectations for greater services and lower costs, logistics businesses are seeking out and building partnerships in order to outsource services and boost their own capacity to take on new business.

“It’s a trend we’ve seen increasing over time, and it goes hand in hand with the intent to invest in technology,” Mr Hagen said.

“This laser focus on partnerships and outsourcing has created a greater value and awareness of software integrations and systems that support this flexibility and real-time data sharing.

“Warehouse management and transport management software has enabled smaller players to achieve massive gains, and enhanced integration functions allow secure and fast data transfer between industry partners.

Mr Hagen said the report findings would be used by businesses across Australia, Canada, the United States, and other regions, to optimise operations, stay up to date with trends and future-proof their businesses.

The full Q1 2023 CCLI Report also includes a two-year timeline of logistics data and insights from 2021-2023, industry sentiment tracking, growth perspectives, recession fears, paper-process use, and investment goals.

The CartonCloud Logistics Index Report is Free for all members of the logistics industry, and available for download alongside previous reports from the CartonCloud Logistics Index Archive Page: https://www.cartoncloud.com/cartoncloud-logistics-index-archive