5 Technologies for Logistics Management Professionals

You hear the word logistics a lot these days. Logistics management is so common you even hear it in TV commercials. Based on the way it’s most commonly used, it sounds like logistics management is all about shipping. Getting products where they need to be on time is a part of logistics, but it goes much deeper than that. Logistics management: The process of getting the people, processes and parts your organization needs to the right places at the right times. When logistics is working well, your business is more efficient. 5 Essential Logistics Management Technologies There are hundreds of software packages, hardware platforms and types of technology you could apply to logistics. Here are five essential technologies that are crucial to today's logistics professionals: 1. Fleet Tracking Do you know where your vehicles are? GPS-based fleet tracking systems let you monitor and manage your fleet in real time from any internet-connected device. With this kind of power in your pocket, you will always know where your materials are, where they are going and when they will arrive. 2. Drone Technology Amazon and Google are pouring millions of dollars into developing unmanned delivery platforms and the technology is advancing at breakneck speed; the only thing delaying the technology in the United States is regulation. It is difficult to imagine a future where these technologies are not relevant. 3. 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing 3-D printing is set to potentially revolutionize manufacturing. Complex items that once required extensive labor to produce can be created in a single operation by a machine that sits on a desk. A 3-D printer can perform this operation without supervision and have items ready for your workers in the morning. 4. Warehouse Automation By using a computer-based algorithm to arrange your warehouse, you can maximize your productivity by using your space in the most efficient way and minimizing the time it takes to retrieve items. 5. RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)Tags RFID tags are the modern equivalent to barcodes printed on paper stickers. Just as with a barcode, there is virtually no limit to the type of information these small, inexpensive tags can store. Whether it's origin/destination information, special storage/transportation requirements or some other information, RFID tags are more reliable than paper barcodes. The importance of logistics can hardly be overstated. These are just a few of the technologies that are crucial to efficient logistics. Today’s businesses need people who understand the logistics technologies of today and tomorrow. If you want to succeed in this exciting, potentially lucrative field, you should consider a master's degree in logistics management that will let you hit the ground running. %CODE1LOGISTICSMGMTWHITEPAPER%

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