In 1956, Malcom McLean developed the modern intermodal shipping container. A decade later, FedEx’s Frederick W Smith introduced the concept of next-day logistics. Fast forward to today, the ecommerce giant Amazon is driving even more aggressive changes conditioning consumers to expect same-day delivery.
As the delivery times get shorter, new logistics concepts are forming shape. Robotics is gaining importance through the supply chain while automation is poised to reshape logistics. DHL has developed a parcel copter that enables fast and flexible sending and receipt of parcels in geographically demanding locations. Rolls-Royce is developing connected drone container ships and several players are developing self-driving and connected cars. Connected wearable devices are revolutionising the way people such as logistics employees interact with their environment. Goods on shelves are indicated by a Google glass, scanned and booked automatically. Enabling technologies such as sensors, IoT, data analytics, and robotics are being deployed into specialized applications for the logistic sector. For example, vehicle telematics and self-driving technologies initially developed for passenger vehicles are now finding applications in the trucking sector to solve for the growing pain point of an increasing shortage of truck drivers.
While various such innovations have been taking the logistics industry by storm worldwide, poor infrastructure has been holding back the growth of Africa’s logistics markets. However, there is hope, from both foreign investment and homegrown solutions.
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