The logistics industry is constantly evolving, so staying ahead of the curve is crucial. But it’s also a multifaceted industry, which is why we, as OMS Group, have built expertise in the parcel, express, freight, supply chain, and e-commerce businesses across five corporate divisions. The many sides of logistics also mean the trend outlook can vary between our express and supply chain businesses, for example. That’s why our divisions keep an eye on the unique trends in their businesses. Look for links to their trend forecasts under “Dive Deeper” below.

That being said, as a Group, we closely monitor the logistics trends that transcend our divisions – check out our OMS Logistics Trend Radar to see the dozens of trends we’re following.

The four logistics trends we highlight here are not new – but we believe those who embrace them will gain a competitive edge. Let’s dive in.

“Resilience” has been one of the buzzwords in logistics for several years now – ever since Covid-19 caused worldwide supply chain disruptions. The year 2023 was no different, making robust supply chains and stable logistics flows top priorities. Innovative technologies helped stabilize the industry, largely avoiding supply chain bottlenecks despite the ongoing war in Ukraine and new sources of conflict. Remaining focused on an approach that favors supply chain diversification and harnesses the trends below will be critical to success in 2024 and beyond.

Like big data, the Internet of Things (IoT) is also nothing new to logistics and supply chain management. But if you’re unfamiliar with it, here’s a brief history and some insights into how it’s adding value to supply chains.

Saying IoT is revolutionizing supply chain management is not an understatement – it’s fast becoming one of our most essential tools. Why? IoT is generating the data we need for analytics – and providing us with unprecedented visibility and connectivity. It allows us to connect every link in the supply chain, from vehicles and shipments to warehouses and personnel, using sensor technology and cloud applications. This interconnectedness enables a more transparent, efficient, and responsive supply chain, paving the way for a smarter logistics landscape.

Smart labels are an example of an IoT-enabled technology that will make a big impact on the logistics industry soon. We believe the next generation of smart labels – which we call “Smart Printables” – will allow us to do things we couldn’t before, and on a global scale.

After ChatGPT took the world by storm in 2022, artificial intelligence (AI) dominated the tech world in 2023. There’s still a lot of hype out there, but the potential of AI to transform the logistics industry is real. We’re already seeing the benefits of humans collaborating with AI in logistics and exploring the usefulness of generative AI in the workplace.

AI’s ability to analyze data, learn from past experiences, and predict future outcomes goes far beyond ChatGPT and is becoming a game-changer. In 2024, we expect capabilities to expand into more areas of logistics. We’re sure to see meaningful advancements in route planning, demand forecasting, asset management, and more.

AI will likely make inventory management much smarter, as AI technologies enable optimized stock levels by more accurately predicting customer demand. Advances in AI are also making computer vision an industry-shaping tool that our Innovation & Trend Research team believes will become standard in the logistics industry standard within the next five years.