Why intelligent supply chains will rule the world

Global freight transport is a key component in the trade of goods and materials, but new demands on the transport network are creating fresh challenges for data.

Transport companies are endeavouring to meet those new demands, but are they successful? Discover how an adaptive, intelligent supply chain – built around standards – accelerates innovation and drives change.

In today’s congested world, most would agree that the e-logistics related to movement of goods is a growing field, and one that will not plateau. Companies are seeking faster and better ways to get product to market and on consumer’s shelves or in their driveways. At the same time, many would agree that demand frequently outstrips the available capacity of transport infrastructure. There can be few companies that have not experienced sporadic load disparities, slow freight movement, or high transport expenses.

Global growth

Every product in our homes and offices got to the shop shelves as a result of efficient, safe and rapid transport, sometimes in the same city, at other times from across the globe, and often using multiple modes of transport such as rail hubs, air freight and land-based services. The movement of freight is changing in ways that could barely be imagined a few generations ago and at a pace that is faster than any in recorded history.

To better understand the impact of global freight movement, consider this. The freight industry transports trillions of dollars’ worth of goods every year to every corner of the globe and back, through an increasingly interconnected and interdependent global freight supply chain. In 2015, world trade in goods was valued at about USD 16 trillion, according to the UNCTAD report Key Statistics and Trends in International Trade 2016, the latest analysis of trade-related issues by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. Each seaport and airport is connected to road and rail networks with intermodal dwelling times, reflecting the multimodal nature of most freight journeys.