Technology in logistics can be a powerful tool to empower your team and enhance the logistics sector workforce.
Logistics software leaders CartonCloud are known for creating systems that empower and cater to the needs of small-medium-sized logistics companies. — In this article, the software leaders look at what humans can do while aided by technology.
“We’re interested in exploring how the logistics workforce can be empowered to achieve more, by the use of emerging technology and innovative solutions,” said CartonCloud CEO and Founder Vincent Fletcher.
“We’re seeing a number of new technologies emerge that are increasing safety and workforce enjoyment, and opening up new opportunities to engage a wider workforce in logistics roles,” he said.
Mr. Fletcher said the innovation is already there, it’s how the sector uses it that matters most.
“Logistics providers are already using technology and software solutions to focus on optimization.
“They are streamlining workflows and processes, and simplifying tasks at hand, in order to get more out of every dollar and resource they have.
“The industry is being pushed to deliver faster shipment timeframes and more flexible order and delivery options, and this means all logistics operators must be working smarter to find efficiencies — including smaller companies who may not have the financial clout to cover massive upfront costs for solutions.”
Small-medium sized operators make up a majority of the supply chain across North America.
“We need to ensure that these smaller players have access to the tools they need to stay competitive,” said CartonCloud Head of North America/ COO Shaun Hagen.
“It comes down to the suitability of the software for their needs, and how quickly and easily they can have the system up and running, to start seeing the benefits,” he said.
“First and foremost, they need solutions that are easy to use and implement — there’s no point having the highest tech if it’s too difficult to train their staff on.
“Next, it has to give them flexibility and to allow them to scale according to opportunities and demand as the market shifts. And finally, it needs to provide a range of seamless and flexible integration options that allow them to connect with their customers and industry partners as they need.”
Technical innovation in logistics is not about replacing humans — it’s about empowering your workforce to do more.
“Robotics, automation, and software can remove the need for certain manual tasks, and increase workforce output and productivity,” said Mr. Fletcher.
“The right tools and solutions can even reduce risk for humans working in high-risk conditions like high or low temperatures, physically demanding roles, or working with heavy machinery.
There’s a huge opportunity for smaller players to access the solutions as a plug-and-play service, once they already have their business online — and that’s where we come in.”
CartonCloud’s warehouse and transport management software is designed specifically for SMB logistics operators, with user-centered design and features created specifically for the industry.
The software, often referred to as ‘mission-critical’, removes tedious and time-consuming tasks, boosts scalability, and increases efficiency.
“Our software is designed by logistics people, for logistics people, with every design feature, functionality and update created to make the lives of logistics people easier — while allowing them to grow their business,” said Mr. Fletcher.
With greater access to logistics technology and automation and human-centric technology, Mr. Fletcher and his team believe the world of work within logistics will evolve, offering new roles that are aided by machinery and technology, and creating new opportunities for others to build new solutions within the network.
North American manufacturers have begun stockpiling goods to buffer against the impact of potential tariffs threatened by incoming Trump Administration, building up safety stocks to guard against higher imported costs, according to a report from New Jersey business software firm GEP.
That surge in orders has sparked a jump in production, shrinking the level of spare capacity in global supply chains to its lowest level since June, the firm said in its “GEP Global Supply Chain Volatility Index.” By the numbers, that index rose to -0.20 in November, from -0.39 the month before, based on GEP’s measurement of demand conditions, shortages, transportation costs, inventories, and backlogs from its monthly survey of 27,000 businesses.
Another impact of the trend has been to trigger a surge in procurement activity by manufacturers in Asia—especially China—as new orders rebounded sharply. Only India reported a greater rise in raw material purchases than China in November. And preparations to ramp up production even further were evidenced data showing factory procurement activity across Asia rising at its fastest pace for three-and-a-half years, GEP said.
In sharp contrast, Europe's industrial recession worsened in November, in large part due to Germany's deepening manufacturing downturn. Factories in that region went deeper into retrenchment mode, as demand for inputs from manufacturers in Europe was its weakest since December 2023.
"In November, U.S. manufacturers, particularly in the consumer goods sector, increased their safety stocks to help blunt any immediate tariff increases," John Piatek, vice president, GEP, said in a release. "In contrast, Chinese manufacturers are getting busier as a result of government stimulus and growth in exports, led by automotives and technology products. Strategically, many global companies have a wait-and-hope approach, while simultaneously planning to remake their global supply chains to respond to a tariff and trade war in 2025 and beyond."
In response to booming e-commerce volumes, investors are currently building $9 billion worth of warehousing and distribution projects under construction in the U.S., with nearly 25% of the activity attributed to one company alone—Amazon.
The measure comes from a report by the Texas-based market analyst firm Industrial Info Resources (IIR), which said that Amazon is responsible for $2 billion in warehousing and distribution projects across the U.S., buoyed by the buildout of fulfillment centers--facilities that help process orders and ship products directly to end customers, ensuring deliveries of online goods from retailers to buyers.
That investment is inspired by U.S. Census Bureau data showing $300.1 billion in a preliminary estimate of U.S. retail e-commerce sales for third-quarter 2024, adjusted for seasonal variation but not for price changes, compared to $287.5 million in the first quarter, and an increase of 7.4% compared with third-quarter 2023. In addition, e-commerce sales accounted for 16.2% of total retail sales in the third quarter of this year, the report said.
Private equity firms are continuing to make waves in the logistics sector, as the Atlanta-based cargo payments and scheduling platform CargoSprint today acquired Advent Intermodal Solutions LLC, a New Jersey firm known as Advent eModal that says its cloud-based platform speeds up laden container movement at ports and intermodal hubs.
According to CargoSprint—which is backed by the private equity investment firm Lone View Capital—the move will expand the breadth of global trade that it facilitates and enhance its existing solutions for air, sea and land freight. The acquisition follows Lone View Capital’s deal just last month to buy a majority ownership stake in CargoSprint.
"CargoSprint and Advent eModal have a shared heritage as founder-led enterprises that rose to market leading positions by combining deep industry expertise with a passion for innovation. We look forward to supporting the combined company as it continues to drive efficiency in global trade,” said Doug Ceto, Partner at Lone View Capital.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Parvez Mansuri, founder and former CEO of Advent eModal, will act as Chief Strategy Officer and remain a member of the board of directors of the combined company.
Advent eModal says its cloud-based platform, eModal, connects all parts of the shipping process, making it easier for ports, carriers, logistics providers and other stakeholders to move containers, increase equipment utilization, and optimize payment workflows.
Airbus Ventures, the venture capital arm of French aircraft manufacturer Airbus, on Thursday invested $10.5 million in the Singapore startup Eureka Robotics, which delivers robotic software and systems to automate tasks in precision manufacturing and logistics.
Eureka said it would use the “series A” round to accelerate the development and deployment of its main products, Eureka Controller and Eureka 3D Camera, which enable system integrators and manufacturers to deploy High Accuracy-High Agility (HA-HA) applications in factories and warehouses. Common uses include AI-based inspection, precision handling, 3D picking, assembly, and dispensing.
In addition, Eureka said it planned to scale up the company’s operations in the existing markets of Singapore and Japan, with a plan to launch more widely across Japan, as well as to enter the US market, where the company has already acquired initial customers.
“Eureka Robotics was founded in 2018 with the mission of helping factories worldwide automate dull, dirty, and dangerous work, so that human workers can focus on their creative endeavors,” company CEO and Co-founder Pham Quang Cuong said in a release. “We are proud to reach the next stage of our development, with the support of our investors and the cooperation of our esteemed customers and partners.”
Tire manufacturer Michelin has long used predictive maintenance tools to head off equipment failures, but the company recently upped its game by implementing cutting-edge robotics at its factory in Lexington, South Carolina. Managers there are using Boston Dynamics’ autonomous mobile robot (AMR) “Spot” to speed and streamline the inspection and maintenance processes—a move that is boosting productivity at the Lexington facility and for the company at large.
“Getting ahead of equipment failures is important, because it affects our production output,” Ryan Burns, an associate in the facility’s reliability and methods department, said in a case study describing the project. “If we can predict a failure and we can plan and schedule the work to fix the issue before it becomes an unplanned breakdown, then we’re able to increase our output as a company and a tire producer.”
MORE—AND BETTER—INSPECTIONS
Spot is a versatile quadruped AMR that can automate sensing and inspection tasks, and capture data—all while moving freely throughout a facility. The robot is being used around the world for maintenance-related functions, such as detecting mechanical problems and monitoring equipment for energy efficiency. At the Michelin plant, managers began by assigning Spot to inspect machinery in its tire verification (TV) area—taking over tasks previously done by in-house technicians as well as conducting additional inspections. Spot identifies issues and problems, and then conveys that information through its software program, called Orbit, which managers can access via an on-site server. From there, managers can sort through the data to detect anomalies and set alarm thresholds that will trigger a technician’s response.
“From a technician standpoint, Spot going out and doing these routes eliminates a mundane task that the humans were doing,” said Burns. “By Spot finding these anomalies and these issues, it gives the technicians more time to … [decide] how and when they’re going to fix the problem versus going out, identifying [the issue], then trying to plan and schedule everything.”
FEWER BREAKDOWNS, MORE PRODUCTIVITY
The results have been game-changing, according to Burns and his colleague Wayne Pender, the tech methods and reliability manager at the Lexington plant. As of this past fall, Spot was running seven inspection missions in the TV area, scanning about 350 points across 700 assets to detect anomalies ahead of time. The results helped generate 72 work orders in Michelin’s system—allowing the facility to avoid uncontrolled breakdowns and major production losses, according to Pender. On top of that, Spot had generated 66 air-leak work orders, identifying areas where Michelin can reduce energy consumption.
Looking ahead, the plan is to apply Spot’s talents beyond the TV area to the rest of the facility.
“Spot is a member of our maintenance team,” Burns said. “The future is to have more Spots, so that we can improve on our inspections and improve our overall output as a company here at [Lexington].”
Pender agrees: “We see Spot [as] the future. … [But] we probably need a whole dog pound or multiple Spots … to actually do what we need to do [across all of Michelin’s North American facilities].”