Today, the eCommerce business has entirely revolutionized retail. It has significantly influenced the buying behavior of customers across the globe and pushed retailers to sell online owing to the tremendously rising competition. According to Statista, 21.8% of the World’s population buys online, and in 2021, the number is expected to rise to over 2.14 billion.

Logistics is an indispensable part of the eCommerce business and plays a major role in the way the industry operates. AI-backed logistics solutions in the eCommerce business are evolving with growing business requirements and are acting as an important lever for business growth.

Let’s look at some of the most innovative solutions in logistics fulfillment that are reshaping the future of the eCommerce business supply chain.

Increase in First Attempt Delivery :

Geocoding is the technology of converting physical address descriptions into precise geographical coordinates on a map that can be easily identified. Advanced geocoding solutions combine machine learning, natural language processing, and rule-based improvements to gather complete address information and convert even the fuzziest addresses correctly, precisely to door number, lane, and locality. Implementing a geocoder can help eCommerce business improve First Attempt Delivery Rates (FADR) as well as cut down on delivery costs and time significantly.

Route Planning Solution :

In a world of one-day, two-day, and same-day fulfillment, delivery agents are loaded with hundreds of parcels to be delivered in a day. Finding the most effective, time-saving route is not possible with human intelligence anymore. A route planner or journey planner is a search engine that automatically plans and optimizes deliveries, taking into consideration various business parameters, like SLAs, geographical, and traffic constraints. Route planning software not only helps businesses plan deliveries smartly but also assists in effective decision-making.

Logistics Tracking and Analysis :

Logistics management involves several phases, including transportation, packaging, warehousing, materials handling, and condition management. Any deviance at any stage could cause a delay in last-mile fulfillment, increasing logistics costs and impacting customer satisfaction.

The future of eCommerce logistics lies in tracking, tracing, and predicting. Logistics tracking and analytics solutions allow businesses to track products, material, or on-ground resources in real-time, send notifications to logistics managers in case of any divergence or delay, and offer critical insights using the power of analytics.

Intelligent Shipment Sorting and Fleet Allocation :

eCommerce logistics hubs have to deal with a wide-ranging category of products to be delivered in different locations on a daily basis. Sorting packages based on Zip codes and areas manually is time-taking and error-prone. Intelligent shipment sorting is an automated sorting solution that helps businesses sort bulk delivery orders based on multiple factors, saving time and effort significantly, thereby improving operational efficiencies.

Some AI-logistics solutions also offer intelligent fleet allocation, assisting companies in allocating specific goods in specific vehicles as well as offering the most optimal mix of owned and rental fleet to drive cost efficiencies to manage your eCommerce business.

Smart Reverse Logistics and On-Demand Routing :

A key element of eCommerce logistics is reverse shipment, which includes all the processes associated with product returns, repairs, maintenance, etc. New-age logistics solutions have introduced smart reverse logistics solutions, helping on-ground agents plan reverse logistics systematically along with forwarding logistics. Nowadays, companies also are AI-assisted on-demand routing and re-routing solutions along with scheduled orders, enhancing customer satisfaction.

Conclusion :

Logix Platform will offer you a comprehensive eCommerce fulfillment solution for merchants and service providers to redefine business strategies and implement our platform across key areas of operations, especially logistics, in order to cut costs, optimize processes and ensure maximum customer satisfaction.

Ecommerce has become an essential part of the global retail framework in recent years. Like many other industries, the ecommerce landscape has changed dramatically since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Shopify, at the height of the pandemic, 10 years of eCommerce growth happened in just 90 days. Statista reveals that over two billion people purchased goods or services online in the same year.

Therefore, the competition between online retailers has never been this heated. In this ever-changing eCommerce environment, brands should keep up with the latest trends and updates in their respective areas and implement them into their business models in order not to fall behind.

Faster and Flexible delivery options :

According to a report by Walkersands, 79% of US consumers are more likely to shop online if they are given a free shipping option, and 54% of US consumers under the age of 25 would prefer the same- day delivery option. On top of that, around 62% of US consumers will readily pay a premium to get their orders shipped the very same day.

Having better and faster shipping options not only increases your bottom line but also provides a positive customer experience. For this kind of trend to work for your eCommerce business, first, understand your customers’ shipping expectations from you by conducting a survey. After the survey , you’ll be able to offer the right shipping options with the help of timely delivery extension, and accordingly, you can make changes to your logistics system.

Direct to consumer D2C Fulfillment :

For e-Commerce businesses , victory is not achieved when an order is placed into the shopping cart, but only when the product is bought and paid for. As online retailers try to meet consumer expectations, there are many considerations to take into account when choosing an e-commerce fulfillment model.Factors like technology adaptability, customer service, growth potential, ease of inventory adding, inventory management, and more.

This model has gotten more traction after the launch of Amazon’s Seller Fulfilled Prime, which enables its sellers and merchants to ship directly to the customers eliminating the middleman.

Cross- Border shipment :

Cross- border e-commerce shipment is another trend that has gained large popularity among customers due to many reasons. Today consumers would choose to buy international products because of the reasons such as easy & flexible shipping options, payment methods, product quality, etc., Cross-border e-Commerce shipments benefit retailers as they get the opportunity to reach new customers throughout the world.

Since online consumers can choose to buy products from international sellers from anywhere on the globe, retailers have felt the need to make global shipping easier to execute in a world wide market.

Cross border e-Commerce benefits the retailers as they get the opportunity for selling products internationally throughout the globe and by improving their brand awareness in the international market.

Smart Solutions for Shipping Returns :

Since the number of people shopping online is increasing and will go on increasing in the future as well, eCommerce businesses will have to plan and deploy smart solutions to manage their returns.

Smartly handling the returns might help you retain a customer that might have had a bad experience with your product or overall experience.

Before anything, ask yourself if you can afford to offer free returns. If you do not, then make your return policy transparent and easy to understand. Most importantly make sure the experience of your customers with the returns is as stress-free as possible.

Robots & Drones for Product Delivery :

Technavio market research report suggests that the autonomous delivery market is poised to grow by USD 16.86 billion during 2020-2024. Chinese e-commerce companies are also deploying robots to deliver orders in an effort to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

These drones are expected to revolutionize the last mile delivery, which usually costs businesses a lot of money. Not only that, but they can also help in improving the customer satisfaction levels.We can’t deny the fact that adapting to this trend will require a lot of capital, but the expected ROI is also quite high. Plus, you can expect better customer loyalty because, well, it’s 2021, and they’ll be receiving their parcels from a drone, just like they imagined.

Conclusion :

Do you need to improve your return management, fulfillment models, or delivery options? It’s never too late to catch this latest e-Commerce trend. As Logix Platform, we offer the world’s simplest Cloud based ERP software to automate an Augmented Reality solution for businesses. To elevate your customers’ online shopping experience in a fast and effortless way, you can get in touch with our team and see how we can help. It comes up with e-commerce and carrier integrations to enhance your business experience.Our major eCommerce business partners are Shopify, Magento, opencart, and woo commerce.

Digital transformation in the Logistics and Transportation industry is extremely fast-paced. Consumer expectations around product delivery and speed are growing manifold, especially in a COVID world where a majority of purchases are being made online. This is putting immense strain on how logistics and transportation service providers manage their supply chains and embrace trends that aim to optimize warehouse operations and fleet management as well as reduce the overall cost of freight.

5 Logistics and transportation Trends to Watch out in 2021 :

Digital advancements in the business landscapes have put organizations in a tight spot. In 2021, organizations in the logistics and transportation industry will have to embrace cutting edge technologies today to design and sustain supply chain solutions for tomorrow.

Here are 5 trends that are going to shape the future of the logistics and transportation industry in 2021 :

1. Robotic process automation: In 2021, organizations struggling to cater to the ever-increasing volume of customer orders will have to embrace robotic process automation at each step of the fulfillment process and implementation solutions that help optimize and scale warehouse and distribution center capabilities. Robotic process automation, when deployed at warehouses, will enable organizations to drive complete automation across the supply chain.

2. Artificial intelligence : In 2021, AI is set to drive continuous innovation like never before. With the ability to mimic humans and automate manual tasks, this year will see AI-powered systems exhibit human intelligence and improve efficiency – by learning through experience.

AI can also help in predictive and preventive maintenance, improve procurement and planning, optimize fuel consumption, as well as pave the way for substantial inventory optimization.

3. DRONES: As last-mile delivery gets more and more challenging and expensive, logistics companies have been on the lookout for ways in which they can fulfill orders in a timely manner. For such organizations, enabling delivery through drones is going to become a popular choice to improve the efficiency of last-mile delivery while reducing costs.

With enterprises like FedEx, Amazon, and DHL already utilizing drones for delivery, 2021- 22 will see a lot more companies join the bandwagon to improve delivery speed and efficiency, and regulatory authorities smooth the way for drone deliveries.

4. Autonomous Vehicle: In 2021, the possibility of self-driving cars becoming a reality is also huge; studies suggest the autonomous vehicle industry will be worth $556 million by 2026. These autonomous vehicles that can operate without any human assistance will help the sector navigate traffic congestion.

They will also help to reduce the rate while detecting obstacles, monitoring engine conditions, and recommending the best routes for quick delivery of goods between warehouses and consumer locations.

5. IoT – led Sustainability: In 2021, the technology will help deliver on the promise of sustainability – and pave the way for long-term social and economic development. IoT -led innovations will allow organizations to unlock new value while giving greater control over their supply chains.

From offering ways to eliminate wastage to improving energy efficiency: IoT will enable companies to act on real-time data and improve decision-making across energy optimization, customer experience as well as the supply chain.

Conclusion :

At Logix Platform, we provide you with a modern machine learning algorithm. Such automation will help eliminate manual tasks, boost order management, improve after-sales service, and alleviate labor shortages while enriching customer experience and enabling business agility. Logix Platform provides Logix TMS which is a fully customized and integrated transport management system to manage the logistics flow. Logix Platform is a cloud-based ERP software which is a modern age ERP system that manages your warehousing, logistics and transportation operations without hassle.

7R’s or 7 Rights plays a significant role in the backing of supply chains and international logistics. Every organization wants to excel in its functionality. They want the work to be done with optimal utilization of resources. Supply chain management corresponds to the management of products & services from the point of production to the end-user. It includes planning, designing, implementing, managing, and tracking supply chain activities.

Managing supply chain management is central to all industries. A supply chain is very much important for the organization. SCM’s main aim is to take care of 7 R’s as it continues to follow.

Role of 7 R’s :

1. Right Product : The essential component of the supply operations is the goods delivered to the customer from the supplier. Supply chain managers should be aware of this. What kind of product they need to make, treat and transport. The net approach is to pick a product that is in demand and which can guarantee income. Getting the right information and using the right product would help maximize the time and money efficiently.

2. Right Quantity : It’s also necessary to submit the right amount of goods in logistics. The supply chain administrators are charged with identifying the right amount of deliverables and working with the production and distribution department to get the best quantity of goods distributed to the customers. All things should be taken proper care of and handled wisely. While packing it must be checked that the quality should be according to the demand. Less quantity will take the customer towards the wrong perception of the company.

3. Right Condition : The product should reach the customer in good condition. Of utmost importance is the consistency of the deliverables. The procurement department is obligated to ensure that the products are properly packed and shipped in the right condition to the customers.

4. Right Place : The next important aspect is that they will give the right material to the correct location. Supply chain administrators should ensure that they have competent and qualified logistics personnel to deliver the content at the proper place. Managers should build a comprehensive position tracking distribution system so that both consumers and suppliers should monitor the products at the exact location & deliver it to the right spot.

5. Right Time : In logistics, the duration is a crucial factor. The happiness of consumers and the long-term partnership are only possible if the goods are delivered to consumers at the perfect time. Managers tasked with creating a tracking system and working with the distribution team to get the items shipped before the deadline. Customer satisfaction is the key to success. Thus the delivery time for the product is always crucial for a business as this leads to happy faces of the customer. Proper monitoring is required so that one can catch up with the flaws if any occur in the process.

6. Right Customer : Customers are the cornerstone of supply chain operations. The managers need to learn their target audience. If the goods are sold in the correct market so that the business will receive more leads and they will get the best customers to stick with them for a lifetime. Organizations should always target the right customers.

7. Right Price : Pricing is crucial for companies, as it is the aspect that determines the profit or loss that has sustained. The supply chain manager will analyze industry dynamics and place the products and services at reasonable prices. Also, a program should be in a place that maintains a record of costs and periodically checks them so that the goods sold at the correct cost.

These are the seven R’s of supply chain management that ensures that the whole process of logistics is carried out effectively.

Conclusion :

Logix Platform’s innovative and comprehensive logistics software is capable of managing your whole logistics and supply chain operations effectively. Logix Platform allows you to manage all aspects of your logistics business from automating operations to automating billings and accounting, invoicing and optimizing business workflows. We also have more than 20+ carriers associated with the system and easy integrations to enhance your business experience.

The warehousing, which comprises around 10% of the overall logistics cost, has a significant impact on optimizing the remaining 90% that includes transportation, inventory management, material handling, packaging, etc. The analysis points out that the industry is growing at a CAGR of 10.5% and is further expected to rise with the Covid-19 vaccine distribution.

The warehousing and logistics industry had an admirable run last year as Covid-19 forced businesses to focus on continuity plans and supply chain constraints. The growth momentum is expected to continue in 2021 as sectors like e-commerce, FMCG and pharmaceuticals look to penetrate deeper into tier II and III cities.

Logistics players and analysts are convinced about the sector’s performance as they say that e-commerce firms will continue to push for cost-efficient and swift last-mile delivery. Besides, the growing demand for cold chains, and with India vying to be a manufacturing hub, the requirement for large automated warehouses and omnichannel logistics solutions will continue to grow.

As per Savills India, industrial and warehousing space absorption is expected to grow 83% y-o-y to 47.7 m sq ft in 2021, driven by robust growth in e-commerce and manufacturing.

This would be driven by the challenges customers faced and had to overcome in 2020, which made it clear for many organizations, especially SMEs, that having the right partners to support their supply chain and logistics needs is a must to enable growth without disruption.

Customers will engage partners who can bring stability, scale and sustainability. There would be a clear shift in customers’ long-term strategy to make some changes to adjust to new norms, which includes an increase in inventory holding and reducing supply chain costs. Customers will also continuously look out for reliability in service and ability of this segment to scale up and down without incremental costs, he added.

Warehousing demand in post-Covid-19 scenario would follow a hub-and-spoke model, largely with product companies focusing on reducing inefficiencies in the supply chain, which happen due to the bullwhip effect, by increasing availability of their products closer to consumption points, he added.

Omni-channel strategy has now become central for most of the companies which are into retail, FMCG and pharmaceuticals and has given a big opportunity to third party logistics (3PL) providers.

Growing demand for cold chain, pharmaceutical warehouses as well as growth in e-commerce and organized retail are likely to drive warehousing demand in 2021. In addition, strong macroeconomic fundamentals and government’s policy support in implementation will continue to fuel growth for the entire sub-asset class of industrial and logistics.

Warehousing players have started to invest more in automation and mechanization for contactless operations. Some of these warehouse technologies are smart analytics, warehouse management system, warehouse mobility solutions amongst others.

For efficient operations, the Indian warehousing sector is gradually shifting to the Internet of Things (IoT). The industry has also started integrating sustainability into its standard operating procedures. Companies are adopting designs and practices that reduce their carbon footprint and operating costs.

The warehousing and logistics market in India started gaining impetus with the highest supply and absorption. The demand is expected to increase in 2021 and reach close to 35 million square feet of absorption, almost similar in line with 2019 levels, supported by growing demand in sectors such as 3PL (third party logistics) and e-commerce. 3PL has become one of the fastest-growing segments in the warehousing space, contributing nearly 35 percent of total net absorption in 2020.

Conclusion :

Logix Platform is a cloud-based ERP software which is a modern age ERP system that manages your logistics, warehousing and transportation operations without hassle. With Logix WMS, get access to integrated, cloud-based and customizable WMS that helps you manage and automate inventories with optimized functionalities. Logix Platform is fully customizable according to your organizational needs. It comes up with e-commerce and carrier integrations to enhance your business experience. Our major eCommerce business partners are Shopify, Magento, opencart, and woo commerce. We also have more than 40+ major carrier partners like FedEx, Aramex, DHL, and UPS.

A significant portion of a business’s day-to-day operations involves fulfilling customer orders. The order fulfillment process begins when the customer places an order and ends when the order arrives at their doorstep.

When a business grows beyond its capability to manage order fulfillment in-house, it might be time to consider outsourcing certain functions to third-party logistics companies (aka 3PL services).

How 3PL’s handle Order fulfillment?

Receiving a third party logistics can’t fulfill customer orders if they don’t have inventory, so the first step in the process is moving your inventory to the 3PL’s warehouse.

After a customer places an order, the next step is for the third-party logistics to begin fulfilling the order by “picking” the item. Depending on the type of integrative technology the 3PL offers, this information can be automatically sent to the 3PL or you might have to upload orders to their system manually.

Once all items in an order have been picked, they are packaged for shipping. Depending on what options for customization your 3PL offers, you may be able to choose the packaging for your orders.

After the order is picked and packaged, it is forwarded to a shipping carrier. Some third-party logistics companies have a preferred shipping carrier, while others compare costs to choose the best combination of price and delivery speed. In most cases, shipping carriers pick up orders from the 3PL’s warehouses.

Not all orders end when the shipment hits the customer’s doorstep. Returns are a significant concern for many businesses, and they can get messy if you’re managing a large stock of inventory on your own. When you hand over this aspect of the supply chain to a third-party logistics provider, all returns are directed back to the 3PL, where they are processed, restocked, or disposed of according to your company’s policy.

Three Valuable services that 3PL offers :

(a) Warehouse Storage :Hiring a 3PL saves you from having to find storage space for all of your inventory. Many third-party logistics providers offer shared storage, managing order fulfillment for multiple clients out of one physical location to maximize efficiency and keep costs down.

(b) Inventory Distribution :Many third-party logistics providers manage multiple warehouse locations so your company’s inventory can be distributed across several fulfillment centers for fast shipment to different parts of the country. With the right technology, third-party logistics can automate the fulfillment process, automatically routing orders to the best fulfillment center. Third-party logistics providers make extensive use of automation like this to make inventory distribution profitable for their clients.

(c) Picking, Packing and Shipping :In addition to storing your company’s inventory, a third-party logistics provider has staff in place to perform the specific tasks associated with order fulfillment, including picking the products in each order and packaging them appropriately for shipping.

Conclusion :

At LogixGrid , every action we take while fulfilling your order has an automatic, corresponding digital counterpart in our dashboard, which keeps 3PL order fulfillment processes efficient and consistent. Each step is directed by information that is automatically populated in the dashboard when an order is placed.

It also comes up with e-commerce and carrier integrations to enhance your business experience.

Recent years have seen massive advancement for the logistics and supply chain industry in areas like artificial and augmented intelligence, advanced analytics, and automation, to name just a few.

Companies within the logistics and supply chain sphere must continue getting ready for all of these bigger changes with innovations from automated warehousing technology to last-mile delivery solutions, here are the top 5 emerging trends in the supply chain logistics Industry you need to know in 2021.

1. Block Chain :

In 2019, worldwide spending on blockchain solutions was at 2.7 billion; before 2022, this number is expected to climb all the way to 11.7 billion (DHL and Accenture, 2018).

Blockchain has been one of the most steadily increasing industry-reshaping global logistics trends through the last few years, and its rise shows no signs of stopping.

2. Warehouse Automation :

Warehouse automation market will grow at a CAGR of 12.6% over the next five years, making automation one of the leading trends in logistics and supply chains in the foreseeable future (MH&L, 2019).

Warehouses are cutting costs by boosting their productivity and efficiency with pick and place technologies like robotic arms, automated guided vehicles (AGVs), and automated storage and retrieval (ASRS) (StartUs Insights, 2021).

3. Sustainable Supply chain management :

The buying consciousness of the modern consumer is changing. Sustainability is now a top concern of buyers and companies alike, with many buyers pushing for more transparency into supply chains and rewarding brands who showcase their progressive political stances and green behavior.

4. Last Mile delivery :

The World Economic Forum anticipates that by 2030, 60% of the earth’s population will live in cities (World Economic Forum 2020) . This number is set to increase to 70% by 2050 (The World Bank 2021).

Coupled with growing e-commerce needs, expanding urbanization means that a major transportation and logistics industry trend will be last-mile delivery initiatives (Mordor Intelligence, 2021). Last-mile delivery costs account for more than half of companies’ overall logistics costs (Mordor Intelligence, 2021).

5. Cloud Computing :

Cloud computing is one part of the thriving global digital logistics market. The global digital logistics market is set to grow 21.7% annually between 2020 and 2025, at which point it will be worth US$ 46.5 billion (Malhotra, 2021).

As the logistics and supply chain industry digitalizes in the coming years, cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions will become an integral part of logistics companies’ IT infrastructures. Cloud-based logistics solutions minimize communications hurdles.

Conclusion :

Logix Platform’s innovative cloud-based logistics software is capable of managing your whole logistics and supply chain operations with ease. LogixERP is fully capable of handling all aspects of your logistics business from automating operations to automating billings and accounting, invoicing and optimizing business workflows. It also comes up with e-commerce and carrier integrations to enhance your business experience.

The transportation and logistics industry faced plenty of challenges this past year due to new customs/border regulations as well as a pandemic. Cross border e-commerce has made import and export easier than ever before as the stock is supplied when the demand arises helping the e-commerce market to grow.

1. Growing cross border E-commerce Market :

In the grand, global scheme of things, the international cross border e-commerce market surpassed the €881 billion ($994 billion USD) mark in 2020.
Market research firm Niesel revealed in a recent worldwide study that at least 57% of individual shoppers have made a purchase from an overseas retailer in the last 6 months.

This evidence suggests that has a positive impact on the businesses from whom they are buying 70% of retailers confirmed. Asia- Pacific has gained a significant growth with 62.6% share, over North America and Western Europe, who are expected to have shares of 19.1% and 12.7% respectively.

2. Expected growth in next 2-5 years :

According to the research study, the global cross border E-commerce market size was estimated at USD 780 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 4820 Billion by 2026, at 27% CAGR through 2027.

Growth in Cross border ecommerce is opening up several new opportunities for logistics service providers. As in the next 5 years, a continuous adjustment in services offering is imperative for participants to meet the changing preferences of e-commerce companies and end consumers.

3. An easy access to get into this scope (Business process) :

The Explosive growth of cross border e-commerce is supported by the increasingly young and urban population of below regions with easy access to technology such as mobile phones and tablets.

North America : Canadian e-commerce retailers are considering outsourced fulfilment options to expand to cross-border and other international markets.

South America : The USA remains the most preferred destination for cross border e-commerce. However, the share is being cannibalized by China, supported by a growing preference towards chinese goods.

Europe : Mobile penetration in Europe is high, and more than 54% of the retailers expect mobile to be the potential source of order placement by cross -border eCommerce consumers.

The Middle East and Africa : The cross border e-commerce market in the region is comparatively small, but with high internet penetration and excellent infrastructure in the Middle East, cross-border e-commerce is set to grow at an exponential rate during the forecast period.

Asia-Pacific region : Last mile deliveries in rural areas remain a major challenge for logistics service providers; those with expertise in express delivery will partner with cross border retailers and set up distribution centers for quick deliveries.

Use Case and Summary

LogixGrid has come up with the solution to one of our customers who is finding it challenging since there was a large network with multiple carriers across borders. We have offered a global customer portal and API integrations platform where this customer could easily route the shipments to the particular carrier, update tracking information and complete the process.