{"id":14917,"date":"2023-06-17T19:24:30","date_gmt":"2023-06-17T19:24:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/au\/ecommerce-logistics\/logistics-innovations\/"},"modified":"2026-04-01T18:24:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T18:24:34","slug":"logistics-innovations","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/au\/ecommerce-logistics\/logistics-innovations\/","title":{"rendered":"Logistics Innovations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Logistics Innovations Guide<\/h1>\n

As the ecommerce industry continues to grow, there is more money and time being spent in the logistics research and development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From self-driving courier trucks to fulfilment robotics, the latest logistic innovations is making it easier for online brands to expand their business globally and meet customers expectations around fast and affordable delivery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is an overview of the latest logistic innovations supply chain management<\/a> that are sure to make big waves in the industry throughout the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what do you want to learn?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Logistic innovations in 2023<\/a>
How ShipBob keeps your company up on the latest innovations<\/a>
Logistics innovations FAQs<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>

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A fulfilment expert will get back to you shortly. Privacy Policy<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n

Logistic innovations in 2023<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of whether you\u2019re a new online business owner or a logistics expert, it\u2019s important to stay up-to-date on the latest logistic innovations. Today\u2019s expectations of fast and affordable delivery is encouraging more research and development on logistics technology and automation<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Logistic innovations represent changes and improvements in logistics services from warehousing<\/a> to fulfilment, to last-mile delivery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is an overview of the top logistics innovations in 2023 that impact will impact the ecommerce supply chain<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. On-demand warehousing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On-demand warehousing<\/a> connects online brands that need to store inventory and fulfil orders on a temporary basis with warehouses that have excess space. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On-demand warehousing is ideal for businesses that need warehousing storage but don\u2019t want to make an invest in managing a warehouse. It also is a cost-effective and flexible fulfilment solution. Though it\u2019s an affordable option, it sometimes lacks vetted fulfilment providers and doesn\u2019t provide the level of visibility into operations as you get with a tech-enabled third-party logistics<\/a> (3PL) provider. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Last-mile delivery<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Last-mile delivery<\/a> refers to the stage when a courier picks up orders from a distribution hub or warehouse and delivers it to the final destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal of last-mile delivery is to deliver orders to customer quickly and effectively. Faster delivery is no longer a thing of the past but expected from your customers due to the standards set by names like Amazon and Walmart Marketplace<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To ensure customer satisfaction, it is important to make sure that your company has a handle on its delivery process. The sooner a customer receives their package, the happier they will be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cost is also a big factor. 28%<\/a> of an online brand\u2019s bottom line comes from last-mile delivery costs. To offer customers incentives to shop from you over competitors, you will need a shipping strategy<\/a> that enables 2-day shipping<\/a> or even free shipping<\/a>. The key is to find ways to optimise last-mile delivery so you can offset shipping costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3PLs like ShipBob partner with all major and regional parcel couriers<\/a>, and use technology to automatically optimise shipping routes. By using data, ShipBob can choose the best value courier and pass the savings on to you. This way, you and your customers benefit from fast and affordable delivery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Warehouse management systems<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With so many processes happening simultaneously in any single warehouse, a warehouse management system<\/a> (WMS) is important for efficient supply chain management in 2023 and beyond. Warehouse management refers to the overall observation of operations in a warehouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeping track of things such as receiving, tracking, and storing inventory, as well as training staff, managing shipping, workload planning, and monitoring the movement of goods is very important for success. A WMS is designed to improve supply chain efficiency<\/a> and provide complete visibility into operations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIn addition to our merchant-facing software, app store, and new fulfilment centres, we will continue to invest heavily in our warehouse management software (WMS), which powers all of our fulfilment centres.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This tight integration of our merchant-facing software and WMS allows our merchants to take advantage of the growing number of locations in the ShipBob network and place inventory closer to their end customer.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dhruv Saxena, CEO of ShipBob, in response to Series E funding<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

4. Automation potential<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Automating in-house operations processes reduces manual work and saves on logistics costs by automating time-consuming tasks. Automation also frees up time for your logistics team, so they can focus on how to improve workflows with automation in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every part of the supply chain offers automation of some sort. For instance, automated fulfilment<\/a> can streamline your order fulfilment process. This logistics innovation is the implementation of technology and resources that can be used to manage the fulfilment process, which helps to speed up processes, save time, and reduce human error. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Logistics automation<\/a>is using technology and equipment to help with warehouse operations and fulfilment processes. It can help improve and speed up these processes in a more efficient way. Lastly, inventory automation<\/a>is the process of making generally very time-consuming tasks automated allowing more time for other work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lastly, 3PLs automate shipping<\/a> with technology that maps out the most optimise route to ship out an order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“ShipBob can handle our order volume because they\u2019re experts at what they do. The last company I worked at had their own warehouse, and I witnessed firsthand how messy and complicated fulfilment can be, especially at scale when it\u2019s not what your company specializes in. ShipBob\u2019s fulfilment centres are nothing like that. I’ve been to multiple ShipBob locations, and I\u2019ve seen how much they\u2019ve invested into automation and how organised everything is. It\u2019s no wonder that orders get out within 24 hours of being received \u2013 ShipBob is really good at what they do.<\/em>“<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tyler McCann, Co-Founder of Taste Salud<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

5. Blockchain transactions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Blockchain is more than just an industry buzzword as it continues to be one of the most talked about innovations in logistics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it can be a hard concept to grasp. In layman\u2019s terms, blockchain refers to an open ledger of transactions distributed among systems within a single network. Easy, right? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This process offers further transparency into an entire supply chain network with quick approvals and processing checkpoints. It also consists of automatically recorded data that makes it challenging to change, hack, or cheat the framework. This provides more security for brands that are expanding their distribution network. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For ecommerce, blockchain transactions make it easier for retailers to share and access the same data as their third-parties that manage different parts of their supply chain (e.g., 3PL or courier partners).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Geolocation technologies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Geolocation technology has been used in various industries, including ecommerce, for a while now. One example, order tracking, is essential to send to customers, so they can stay up to date on deliveries and lower the amount customer service inquiries. However, geolocation technology continues to improve to optimise the supply chain<\/a> and enhance the customer experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Geolocation technology can also track inventory<\/a> throughout the supply chain in real time, such as how much inventory will be received and when, what\u2019s in transit, and what\u2019s been stored. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another example of geolocation technology is the ability to view inventory levels across different fulfilment locations, which provides real-time insights to help you maintain and optimise an ideal product allocation<\/a> strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Drones<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Drones are now being used for faster delivery all over the world, no matter how remote a location might be. Drone delivery is incredibly efficient for certain types of deliveries and can be used to replace traditional transportation methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drones also have the capability to reach remote areas, which reduces the delivery time and cost. For instance, drone company Manna<\/a> offers drone delivery as a service to restaurant chains with its latest delivery drones innovation, and can fly at an altitude of 80 meters with a speed of 80 km\/hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This provides a promising benefit to the logistics industry. The process not only eases the coordination from shipment to delivery but also has a great impact on effective product delivery and can reach both rural, urban, and more remote regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Crowd shipping technology<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Crowd shipping technology (also known as crowdsourced delivery) makes the most of bulk supply and delivers orders at a faster rate. Today, this technology is used mostly for food delivery, but it\u2019s also making its way into ecommerce. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crowd shipping technology works by using a network of local couriers to deliver packages to customers\u2019 doors in a timely fashion. Crowdsourced delivery offers benefits for both online stores and customers as it makes it easier to get orders to their customers faster. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For customers specifically, crowd shipping provides more control over the shopping experience as it\u2019s not only a faster option but it provides more visibility using GPS tracking, so customers know exactly when their order will arrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Big data analytics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Data runs through every process within your supply chain and you can use this data to improve your performance and productivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using inventory and fulfilment data, you can better manage SKUs<\/a>, replenish inventory<\/a> on time, forecast demand<\/a>, and make better decisions on how to optimise operations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From shipping insights to ecommerce fulfilment<\/a> performance, ShipBob provides full visibility into operations, which allows you to step away from day-to-day operations, while taking care of fulfilment for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ShipBob\u2019s premium 3PL software<\/a> uses historical order data to provide insights into SKU performance, inventory days on hand<\/a>, and distribution insights to decide on how to best allocate inventory<\/a> across distribution centres<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cShipBob\u2019s analytics are a huge bonus for a merchant looking to partner with a single 3PL that has a built-in order management tool. I was so stoked about being able to see the optimised layout of where you should be distributing your inventory is great. Having inventory and warehouse management capabilities built into your 3PL is such a value-add.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juliana Brasil, Director of Operations at Food Huggers<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Using ShipBob\u2019s data and analytics reporting tool<\/a>, you also get insights into:<\/p>\n\n\n\n