The floor of Home Delivery World 2022 was clearly a reflection of the coverage we have been seeing in the industry for the last year, with mergers and acquisitions, partnerships and data integration abound. Numerous logistics, technology and last-mile providers were there for the first time explaining they had just been bought by another company.
What was also apparent was real world application of concepts talked about in years past. Data has been the name of the game in not just logistics but business in general for the past decade. But while there’s been no shortage of data and information, the sheer volume makes it hard to discern what is important, what is not and how to move forward. At previous shows, I’ve often heard attendees looking for greater analytics and new ways to comb through that data, but today I saw this in action.
Another pain point I’ve heard from logistics providers for years is the fragmentation of technology in the industry. While there are so many innovative and useful technologies, the sheer volume and differing uses for these different platforms has caused some frustrations in operations. Every company has their own preferred technology and technology provider, which can make it difficult for partners to integrate or keep up with.
Well on the floor this year, I saw firsthand that technology providers are listening and taking action. Numerous platforms here today now can integrate with other technologies and are actively partnering with others to do so to create an optimized experience.
Today this is so important as the industry looks to overcome a possible recession and continuous disruptions.