Digital Transformation Logistics

one of the highest-rated last-mile management platforms in 2021: more than 200 customers across 26 countries trust SmartMonkey
Digitalization
2021 Balance Sheet: The SmartMonkey Planner Success Story

A few days before the end of the year, at SmartMonkey we take stock of 2021: a year as convulsive as it is productive.

Throughout 2021 and even with the pandemic of Covid-19 very present, many companies have been forced to change and adapt to that no longer so “new reality”. New ways of proceeding such as “contact 0” deliveries or the switch to a increasingly sustainable logistics.

We can't be unfair, because despite enormous efforts, 2021 has been a great year at SmartMonkey and you, the user, know what we're talking about.

We have established ourselves as one of the last-mile management platforms most highly rated by its users: more than 200 customers from around 26 countries rely on SmartMonkey Planner for their operations on a daily basis. And thanks to this, and because more and more people trust Planner as their last mile manager, we can say that 2021 is closing as a year that is very aware of the environment: thanks to the use of Planner, 332 tons of CO2 have been saved.

The secret to SmartMonkey's success in 2021: We listen to our users

As we mentioned before, our users know how important it is for us to listen actively in addition to meeting and understanding each other's needs.

Precisely for this reason, in 2021 at SmartMonkey Planner we have implemented great new features on our platform. We started the year with Highway and in April we switched to Planner: a new platform with a much friendlier interface, further improving the experience of our users.

Thanks to the trust of users in SmartMonkey, we are Constant growth, which facilitates the relentless implementation of new features within the platform. In the last month of November, we launched new features within Planner, thus meeting the needs that our users let us know.

Planner is one of the most complete software for managing the last mile, thanks to some of the recent features:

Creating Zones: the possibility of organizing your daily planning taking into account the areas where delivery people can go. You can create zones for different zip codes, neighborhoods, regions, or any division that is of interest to your business.

Tasks: Tasks are all those activities or services that are part of the same stop, regardless of their status (whether those in force, to be performed or completed). Add more information to your stops by creating tasks to include all the details of your deliveries.

Barcode reading: The driver currently has the possibility to indicate the tasks as performed by scanning the barcode from the application.

Mode of transport: currently, in addition to a car, you can generate your routes with a bicycle, motorcycle and truck.

Estimated delivery time: know at all times what the current time of arrival of a driver is at a specific service, at what exact time it has been canceled or if at that time he is in transit, while your customers have the estimated time of delivery constantly updated.

These latest news are added to the long list of features that we have today. From the optimization of efficient routes to direct communication with your customers and even to the real-time monitoring of operations. All this and much more is SmartMonkey Planner. If you want to know in detail how our customers benefit from all these features and many others, discover Planner's use cases: Plan and optimize your deliveries, Track your deliveries, Monitor your operations and Notify your customers.

Don't be left behind and be part of a successful platform and transfer it to your operations, sign up for Planner:

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2021 Balance Sheet: The SmartMonkey Planner Success Story
Logistic heroes, like Santa Claus, rely on tools that can provide all their gifts on time and around the world.
Digitalization
The logistical secrets that Santa Claus didn't want to share with the Three Kings

Santa Claus is one of the greatest and most recognized representations of Christmas. A great, endearing hero and the one responsible par excellence for distributing thousands and thousands of gifts in addition to fulfilling a large number of dreams.

The work of Santa Claus at Christmas is commendable: distributing a large volume of gifts on time and around the world, without forgetting a single one. For this reason, he is a hero, a hero without a cape, as are all those people who are part of a company's logistics operations and who, day after day (not just at Christmas), manage to distribute thousands of products in record time. But what is their secret? How do they manage to deliver so many packages and always on time? Keep reading and we'll explain how to:

2021 Christmas sales forecast

The Christmas campaign is, without a doubt, one of the great challenges for companies in the logistics sector. The increase in Christmas shopping compared to other months of the year leads to an increase in logistics operations. Companies in the logistics sector must do their best to meet the high demand these days (Santa Claus is unforgiving!).

In fact, on specialized portals such as The Economist, highlight a forecast of an increase in shipping management of more than 7% compared to data for the 2020 financial year, which will lead to more than 160 million shipments over this period.

For this reason, logistics heroes, including Santa Claus, are not left behind and rely on tools that can provide all their gifts on time and around the world. Below we reveal to you the great enigma of success.

What is the big secret of Santa Claus?

Given the great impact on sales in practically all stores during the Christmas campaign, it is essential to have excellent logistics management to meet the high demand.

For Santa Claus, it is increasingly important to speed and efficiency when it comes to distributing your gifts: being able to reach all places and in the shortest possible time is a priority.

For this reason, implementing tools that facilitate logistics operations and, above all, help to efficiently manage delivery routes is vital on such a special date.

Here's what Santa Claus' great secret is for a successful Christmas:

· Un software specialized in the last mile: the implementation of specialized tools for managing the last mile is essential, especially considering the busy Christmas dates. Specialized software will contribute to your company's commercial success at Christmas, since it will allow you to plan delivery routes in a matter of seconds, as well as making them more efficient. With efficient routes, you will not only have economic savings, due to lower fuel consumption, but also time savings, since you will carry out the most optimal route.

· Direct communication channels with your customers: direct communication with users is essential, since in the midst of the digital age, we are used to being constantly connected and informed. With the use of specialized software, your customers will be able to receive direct and real-time information about your purchases. For example, your customers will be able to know at all times where their order is or when they will receive it, among others.

· Transportation: given the huge sales forecast for Christmas, it is necessary to take into account the company's logistics and transport capabilities. If, as we mentioned before, the increase in sales is greater than 7% compared to other days, we must weigh what the transport needs will be in order to operate successfully. To reach the total of the operation, you must Increase transport of the same exponentially: increasing one third of available transport, at least 2% if sales exceed 7%.

· Logistic staff: in the same way as with transport, it will be necessary increase specialized logistics staff to be able to carry out the day in a satisfactory manner. Taking into account that the increase in sales will be 7%, the available logistics staff must increase by the same number or, at least, by 2% more. Therefore, the workforce should increase by 2%-5% for that day.

Still not delivering like Santa Claus? Do like him and get all your orders to arrive on time and with great savings thanks to the use of SmartMonkey Planner. And if you know any stragglers who are still delivering on a camel, give them a gift and share this item (they arrive, but they always take longer).

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The logistical secrets that Santa Claus didn't want to share with the Three Kings
It is essential to incorporate proactive monitoring into our operations to carry out services in a satisfactory manner.
Digitalization
Optimize delivery management with proactive monitoring

La delivery management It is one of the most important and important parts of any logistics company and, therefore, it is essential to incorporate the proactive monitoring in our operations, in order to carry out the provision of services in a satisfactory manner.

El Rise of online commerce, especially after the pandemic, is further evidence of the paradigm shift in terms of the purchasing habits of the vast majority of consumers, since a new scenario is being proposed where the great advantages of ecommerce, such as the convenience of shopping anywhere or the possibility of buying products and prices.

Taking into account that this e-commerce model is here to stay and will most likely grow and innovate in the coming years, it is essential to ensure optimal management of logistics resources in order to offer efficient and satisfactory delivery management for customers.

In this regard, organization, efficiency and, especially, the ease of adaptation in deliveries are key factors in achieving fast and optimal deliveries. All of this will contribute greatly to the satisfaction of our customers and, therefore, to the good image of our company.

For all these reasons and given the importance of managing deliveries, today many companies have chosen to implement specialized software in the last mile to carry out the operation of deliveries in an efficient manner. The incorporation of specialized tools for last-mile management in logistics companies is the solution to many of the inconveniences that may arise, such as poor planning in deliveries or keeping an exhaustive monitoring of operations in order to carry out a more productive and satisfactory delivery.

Proactive monitoring

As stated before, delivery management is already a determining factor in the proper functioning of any logistics company and the implementation of tools to help us manage it is becoming increasingly important.

In this regard, it is important to take into account concepts such as proactive monitoring.

What is proactive monitoring?

La proactive monitoring It is the live monitoring of the daily planning of services and deliveries that warns of possible failures and errors while allowing us to react and adapt operations in a satisfactory manner.

What should good proactive monitoring look like?

Precisely, adequate proactive monitoring must have sufficient tools and functionalities that allow our operations to react favorably in time.

In this way, it is essential that Let's incorporate delivery management tools that have proactive monitoring and that it be comprehensive enough.

To keep in mind, good monitoring must have the possibility of carrying out the Real-time monitoring of operations: to be able to view at any time and live what the operation is going on.

In addition, and in relation to the real-time monitoring of operations, it is essential that it incorporates sufficient functions that allow a timely reaction to possible failures or errors. For example, it's important to consider the possibility of change in the order of stops or services. In the event of an unforeseen event and we must give priority to one stop over the rest, it will be essential that we have the right tool that allows us to make this change easily.

On the other hand, it is also important in terms of proactive monitoring, that our delivery management software also has the possibility of being able to carry out a change in the assignment of services between one driver and another. For example, thanks to the live view, we can see how one of our drivers must deviate from the route and there is one stop waiting to be made: in this case, we can easily change the assignment of that stop from one driver to another, so that said stop or service can be performed correctly.

Proactive monitoring is also very important when it comes to our customers. Thanks to being able to carry out an exhaustive and live monitoring of the operation, it will be possible to give our customers timely notice of, for example, a delay, which will have allowed them to react and then be able to perform the service efficiently.

All of these features and functions of proactive monitoring are essential, but it is also important to consider the magnitude of the operation and how stressful it can be. Therefore, it is also important to keep in mind that proactive monitoring can be done in a way comfortable and friendly: to be able to know what is happening on a single screen and without having to press the different Inputs on a consistent basis.

To do this, we must incorporate a tool that allows proactive monitoring to be possible and complete but, in addition, that it is independent and that we only have to have the screen open without having to be constantly aware, but simply to see sideways that everything is going as planned or that some of the routes are having unexpected behavior. That's when we'll need to pay attention and identify how to solve the problem.

Differences between proactive and reactive monitoring

Although it is true that more and more companies are betting on continuous improvement and are incorporating mechanisms such as monitoring given their great benefits, there are still laggards that are left behind doing reactive monitoring, a way of proceeding that is currently obsolete.

By proactively monitoring, we can move forward to potential problems. An informed customer at all times allows us to act quickly in the face of any incident, offering solutions proactively, such as arriving later than expected. Being proactive allows us to move forward to possible problems that may arise and not only to avoid them, but also to think about customer satisfaction by offering solutions and alternatives, which they will undoubtedly value very positively.

On the other hand, reactive monitoring does not contemplate possible problems that may arise. It only takes them into account once they have occurred, usually when the wait is longer than usual. At that point, it's too late to provide a satisfactory solution to the customer.

The usual case, when a customer makes the decision to call. This situation is usually due to the lack of information and visibility to the customer, which does not allow them to adapt their daily lives to the operational one. This situation creates stress and uncertainty for the client. The call is a sign that any changes we make to meet that customer's demand will generate extra delays for the rest and not only that, the added pressure for drivers.

With SmartMonkey Planner you can enjoy all the advantages of being able to carry out proactive monitoring, since it is a software specialized in last mile management that has a multitude of functions so that you can easily monitor and adapt your operations at any time.

If you want to position yourself ahead of your competitors, join Planner. In addition, you can sign up now without obligation, we have a free 10-day trial period.

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Do you want to know if you make some of the most common mistakes in the last mile and how to fix them? Go to our article The 4 mistakes to avoid in the last mile and we explain it to you.

Optimize delivery management with proactive monitoring
The last mile is an essential part of the delivery process, since it plays a key role in user satisfaction and, consequently,
Digitalization
The 4 mistakes to avoid in the last mile

La Last mile is an essential part of the delivery process, since it plays a key role in user satisfaction and, consequently, in the success of the company itself.

It is important to emphasize the parameter of the satisfaction of our users since they, having a bad experience or being dissatisfied with the business activity we carry out, would turn to other competing providers. In addition, they would also highlight the negative experience regarding our company to other potential customers. For this reason, it is essential that in the logistics sector, we analyze what the main problems are in this last mile and, above all, how to solve them.

The Last Mile: The Great Challenge

As we have anticipated before, the last mile is the most challenging part of the logistics process given the great complexity involved, so identifying possible errors and possible solutions is of vital importance.

Here are some of the most common errors in the last mile and how to resolve them.

Outdated planning strategy: times change and with them the ways of proceeding. Living entrenched in the past is a mistake and this can be applied to practically any field, including logistics. Until very recently, last-mile planning was carried out manually: a single person responsible for drawing up that impossible “sketch” of hundreds of deliveries on the same route and with numerous drivers. This way of proceeding is the first big mistake: thinking that the way it has been done is always right.

It is often said that “adapt or die” and this is an example of this. It is crucial to adapt to the new times through the use of digital tools that allow last-mile planning. Thanks to the use of software specialized in managing the last mile, such as SmartMonkey Planner, better results are achieved in route efficiency, user satisfaction (direct communication with customers), savings in planning time (now it's a matter of a few minutes) and significant economic savings also in fuel.

Poor communication: Not having direct and effective communication with users and even with the drivers themselves is also one of the biggest mistakes in the last mile. Having direct communication channels that allow customers to know when they will receive a package or what phase of the operation it is in is key to their satisfaction. The transparency and effectiveness of the entire process is very important for your success and, consequently, ours as a company. At SmartMonkey Planner, we have a direct communication platform through emails in real time, so that operations leave that problem behind and become a pleasant common experience.

Low flexibility: as mentioned before, anchoring in the past is a mistake, since we are in a digitalized and constantly changing world. For this reason, it is necessary to implement last-mile management software that allows the flexibility required by logistics, such as schedule changes or the variability of service and driver assignments. It is necessary to have a tool that has this flexibility to ensure an optimal and efficient service.

A bad implementation: all the errors mentioned so far can be truncated in their solution if a good implementation has not been achieved. It is a priority to implement last-mile management software that has an efficient, fast and optimal implementation. With this we are not only referring to the most technical aspects but also to the human aspects: implementing a tool that is easy to use, so that it can begin to be used effectively in a matter of hours and not over weeks or months. An example of this is the company's success story. Prio Energy, who have been able to start optimizing production routes with literally 1 meeting and a 20-minute demonstration.

“Digital transformation is no longer a source of competitive advantage, it's a ticket to stay in the game”

Pablo Martinez — SmartMonkey CTO

If you want to solve all these problems and many more, join Planner

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Do you want to know more solutions for the logistics market? We recommend that you read the article How to increase logistics productivity: the 4 key aspects you must consider to increase logistics efficiency.

The 4 mistakes to avoid in the last mile
The trend towards digitalization has brought with it new forms of purchase for users, thus giving rise to e-commerce.
Digitalization
Ecommerce: everything you need to know about buying and selling online

The trend towards digitalization has brought new forms of purchase among users, thus giving rise to Ecommerce.

El e-commerce or Ecommerce is defined as the purchase and sale of products or services over the internet.

Currently, the relationship between Logistics and the Ecommerce has become so important that the first has become one of the fundamental pillars of the second, since the logistics industry is indispensable for the success of ecommerce. For this reason, for companies that focus their business activity on Internet sales, logistics is one of the most careful processes, since the satisfaction of their customers and the shopping experience will depend on it, especially on last mile.

Advantages of Ecommerce

Below, we show you what are the main advantages of implementing a ecommerce compared to a traditional business with the help of the specialized blog Ecommerce News:

  • No geographical limitations
  • wider range of products and services
  • Reducing costs
  • Greater ease of purchase for users in addition to a saving in time spent on the purchase
  • Easier to develop marketing strategies
  • Increased transparency and information for customers
  • Possibility to offer a comparison of products with respect to their prices and characteristics
  • No time limit

Ecommerce and the Last Mile

La Last mile corresponds to the final stage of the delivery of the order. It is one of the steps that increase logistics costs the most, due to factors such as traffic, urban limitations or inefficient routes in daily deliveries (which will later result in delays in orders, among others).

How to optimize the management of the last mile?

  • Establish strategies in the delivery conditions: use collection points after failed deliveries, direct communication with the user about the status of the package, etc. Also, with regard to transportation, grouping orders by area or the use of light vehicles with better urban mobility.
  • Use transportation route management software: optimize the routes that are going to be taken in the distribution of packages so that they are as efficient as possible. With this, we will achieve not only a significant reduction in fuel costs, but also a reduction in the time spent on routes and, consequently, an increase in profits. In addition, optimizing routes will make your company a much more sustainable company.

With SmartMonkey Planner you can enjoy all the advantages offered by a ecommerce thanks to our advanced software, which allows you to establish direct communication with your customers, have traceability of deliveries, optimize routes, and much more!

Try it for free!

Do you want to know what are the 5 key tools for an ecommerce? Go to our article Ecommerce: 5 essential tools to survive in 2021 and find out.

Ecommerce: everything you need to know about buying and selling online
implement actions to ensure the good use of resources and significant energy savings for better logistics efficiency
Logistics
Energy savings in logistics are possible: 3 measures you should know to achieve energy efficiency in your company

Optimizing the use of resources, especially those that have an environmental benefit, is, to an increasing extent, an extended challenge for society, especially in the logistics sector.

Due to the complexity of logistics operations, many companies face the challenge of reducing costs while being forced to optimize the use and management of resources, as in the case of energy. All of this combines not only environmental awareness and concern, but also a concern to remain competitive with other companies.

In this article, we analyze the importance of implementing actions to ensure the good use of energy resources to achieve a more sustainable future within your company.

Current Situation

The service sector, also known as the tertiary sector, is one whose economic activities are based on the distribution and consumption of goods in order to meet user demand. In turn, this sector encompasses logistics and transport as a subsector, key industries for the development and good functioning of those more developed economies.

However, the logistics industry is a sector in which there is a lot of competition and, given the increasingly specific requirements of users, the improvement of energy efficiency within the logistics process itself has become a key factor for logistics companies to continue with a tight price offer without detracting from the quality of their service.

For this reason, it is essential to implement solutions capable of integrating energy saving mechanisms into their logistics processes in order to achieve resource optimization in addition to remaining at a demanding competitive level such as logistics.

In line with this, according to statements made by Fernando López Zamora, Head of Development at EDF Fenice Ibérica, at the conference”Energy efficiency in logistics facilities” energy efficiency is “a tool for competitiveness and sustainability for companies”.

Emphasizing the fact that “today's industry must prepare to compete tomorrow. And energy and the environment are at the center of this transformation. Therefore, this preparation implies that there is a digitalization of the logistics industry with digital technologies that improve the efficiency of facilities and processes; that are committed to sustainability with efficient uses and consumption of resources; and that they invest in competitiveness to be able to produce the same thing while consuming less”.

Measures

Fleet Management System: the incorporation of specialized software for fleet management will allow the planning of shorter and more efficient routes, in addition to also achieving greater and better use of resources, since it will be possible to take into account the capacities of the vehicles, among others.

Warehouses: The incorporation of automated warehouses has established itself as an efficient solution for energy optimization because it ensures greater use of resources, both spatial and operational (intelligent warehouse management systems).

Electric vehicles: The electrification of vehicles is becoming increasingly popular thanks to a significant improvement in technology, the reduction of the final cost for users together with a lower cost of use and the absence of limitations on use (large city governments have implemented what are known as Low Emission Zones in order to restrict access to cities to all those vehicles that are the most polluting). Initiatives such as that of the company Avia, who have recently developed the EV12 model, a vehicle specifically developed for the city with 100% electric propulsion, making it an environmentally friendly vehicle.

vehículo-avia-ahorro-energético
EV 12 electric vehicle 100% developed by the company Avia

Benefits of saving energy

With the implementation of more sustainable measures that help to save energy in the normal operations of any company, great advantages will be obtained for your company as a result:

  1. Lower costs: The change in perspective on logistics operations, making it a much more sustainable sector, also bring economic benefits, since planning efficient routes will increase productivity while reducing fuel costs, among others.
  2. Decrease in the carbon footprint: Thanks to new ways of proceeding in logistics, such as the use of electric vehicles or the optimization of routes, the impact of logistics operations on the environment is reduced, thus minimizing the known carbon footprint and improving the quality of life in cities.
  3. Improving the corporate image: Today, organizations understand sustainability as a priority issue, and this is reflected in their value proposition. For this reason, more and more companies are taking sustainability into account in their activities and, also, as a value proposition in their marketing and communication strategies.

How can you add to energy savings in logistics? With an effective use of resources and logistics processes, such as planning more efficient and shorter routes or the use of less polluting vehicles. All of this will not only contribute to environmental efficiency but also to greater economic profitability for companies. If you want to know more about logistics and sustainability, don't miss our article about Green Logistics.

Get on board with energy efficiency with Routal Planner for 30% more efficient and sustainable route planning.

Energy savings in logistics are possible: 3 measures you should know to achieve energy efficiency in your company
Here are some of the 4 key factors that will help you increase your company's logistics productivity.
Innovation
How to increase logistics productivity: the 4 key aspects to consider to increase logistics efficiency

Find out how to improve logistics productivity in 4 simple steps

La productivity It is an essential indicator for analyzing the state and quality of logistics management of your company. Here are some of the recommendations that will help you increase logistic productivity of your company

Use of metrics and KPIs

To evaluate logistic productivity and process performance, the use of KPIs is essential (Key Performance Indicator). These indicators will help you measure and quantify your company's performance and compliance with established objectives. According to the article Logistics KPI: discover how to increase the productivity of your company from the technology consultancy Enzyme Advising Group, the incorporation of these parameters is an essential component in the success of any company.

It is recommended that when defining the logistics KPIs, they are developed based on the S.M.A.R.T. (Smart, Mmeasurable, Achivable, Realistic and Time-Bound) model:

  • Specific: in line with your company's mission, vision and strategy.
  • Measurable: Quantifying results will be key to strategy planning and subsequent decision-making.
  • Achievable: define objectives as long as they are acceptable and real
  • Realistic: objectives should be defined according to the capabilities and particularities of the strategy
  • Time-limited: objectives with a limited period of time.

Within the KPIs, it must be taken into account which ones can be useful within each of the phases of the logistics process. This will make it easier for you to extract performance data from each department. Here are some of the most important in the different phases of the logistics process:

  • Purchase and inventory: it is essential to measure the service offered by our suppliers and carry out an inventory in order to have a good organization (know the content, avoid possible errors and even reduce costs)
  • Distribution: Quantifying the orders to be placed and evaluating the productivity of your employees will increase the efficiency of your warehouse
  • Transportation: automating tasks related to transportation, thanks to the use of software specialized in route planning and optimization, will make the last mile an efficient and optimal process for your customers
  • Order and delivery management: It is necessary to know times and quantities when carrying out a delivery service, since it will depend on increasing management and operational performance

Increase customer satisfaction

Prioritizing a stable relationship focused on customer satisfaction is the first step and an essential step to achieve success and thus increase logistics productivity.

To establish a good relationship with your customers, you must offer optimal communication throughout the process: it offers direct access, real-time monitoring of information, includes alerts, etc. It is also essential to guarantee adequate technical support: the resolution of incidents or questions that may arise quickly and effectively is essential for the satisfaction of your users. All of this will make them have all the information they may require and will help them build a much stronger relationship with your company, which will also have an impact on logistics productivity.

Optimizing resources: transport and logistics productivity

The optimization of resources when it comes to transportation is essential for the benefit and efficiency of your company, since it will help to control the traceability, trajectory and tracking of shipments. In addition, planning delivery routes efficiently and optimally will result in significant economic and time savings. Therefore, the use of specialized route planning software such as Planner, from SmartMonkey, will be a key element in increasing the logistics productivity of your company.

Design of planning systems, logistics scenarios and efficient warehouses

It is essential to have a good warehouse design, since it will have a direct impact on the supply chain and its effectiveness because this will help to manage one's own supplies properly and to greater logistic productivity.

almacenes-eficientes-logística

The design or redesign of the warehouse should take into account key aspects, such as the prior analysis of the warehouse's space needs and associated areas, together with a previous study also of the expected inflow and outflow.

Do you want to know more aspects of the logistics market? We recommend that you read the article Digital transformation in the logistics sector: the 5 keys to achieving digital success to learn about the latest trends in the sector.

If you want to increase the logistics productivity of your business, join Planner and reinforce the scalability of your company.

How to increase logistics productivity: the 4 key aspects to consider to increase logistics efficiency
Companies that successfully participate in the digital transformation process will be better positioned in the market
Innovation
Digital transformation in the logistics sector: the 5 keys to achieving digital success

If you're still one of the few laggards resisting digital transformation, you need to read this article. Learn about the path to logistical success

The profile of new users in the growing digital era stimulates the fact that companies are being pushed towards digital transformation (also known as logistics 4.0), in order to adapt their businesses to the new social, business and technological reality. In this way, users have adopted digital culture in their environment thanks to the incorporation of new tools, which often allow greater speed, efficiency and even user autonomy.

For all these reasons, most companies in practically any sector have already begun to adapt to this new era. This transformation triggers new business opportunities, revenues and even increased efficiency. In this way, all those companies that are successfully participating in the digital transformation process will be better positioned in the market given the competitive advantages compared to other non-digitized companies.

Transformación Digital

How to apply digital transformation strategies in logistics

Below we show you what are the most important aspects for proper business digitalization in logistics. All initiatives must take into account the particular situation of each company considering the difficulties it faces, the opportunities it has in its sector and the objectives it sets itself. Therefore, it is advisable to go step by step:

Strategy: it is very important that the company's strategy is aligned with the challenges of digitalization. Digitalization can be a very important lever in the strategy because if you only invest in technology without clear guidance, the result is usually not as expected.

Starting point and objectives: it is necessary to carry out a prior analysis to assess the current state of the areas most affected in the company due to the imminent digitalization.

Partida Budgetary for digitalization: the company's internal procedures or bureaucratisms should not be an impediment to making the investments in technology necessary for digital transformation. One of the pillars of digitalization lies in the simplification and automation of many processes, which is why it is often welcome.

Talent 4.0: it is essential to bet and invest in those employees who have specialized training in supply chain management, in addition to also having advanced skills in software and digitalization.

Metrics and KPIs: it is essential to analyze each stage and measure its results (KPI) in order to make the best decisions that increase the efficiency of our company.

LEAN method: Prototype, measure, and iterate. It is necessary not to approach the project in a very ambitious way if the company does not have the human capital with sufficient experience in this type of project. It is preferable to start with small projects that give confidence in the execution and management of change in the company itself.

Technological tools: key factors of logistics 4.0

Once analyzed what are the strategies to be implemented towards logistics 4.0, it is now necessary to know those technological tools and key factors in order to carry it out.

Cloud Computing: Cloud computing technology is a pillar of digital transformation since it allows you to store data online, thus allowing different sectors or departments to share information without the need for a software or storage system.

Management software and systems: The implementation of new technological solutions (software) that help to systematize management will promote the automation of some processes that until now were mostly manual, such as planning delivery routes. Thanks to the use of our tool SmartMonkey Planner efficient route planning is already a reality for many small and large companies, such as the case of Alfil Logistics or Pink Basket, among others. Do you want to know more about the benefits of intelligent route planning? Read the following article and discover the success in Success Story: Alfil Logistics — Alfilxpress.

Big Data: With the incorporation of Big Data, companies have the possibility of being able to work with a large volume of data in a much more strategic and analytical way, thus allowing them to more easily forecast market demands and trends or transport weaknesses and needs, among others.

Internet of Things: It allows the interconnection between the different items in the same system in order to act collaboratively and intelligently. This, within the logistics chain, represents a great benefit already implemented in a large part of the process chain.

Advantages of digital transformation logistics

Automation in logistics processes: Especially in inventory, warehousing and route planning, among other processes.

Extensive data collection across the supply chain: measurable and analyzable

Predictive maintenance based on collected data

Advanced control in all processes and digitized quality system

Management system for digital performance

Bigger and better user experience — end customer

In short, the adaptation of the logistics industry to this new digitalization is crucial for the evolution of the sector, not only because of the threats to those companies that are unable to adapt, but also because of all the competitive advantages that will be obtained by all those companies that know how to take advantage of existing opportunities.

Do you want to know more trends in the logistics market? We recommend that you read the article Green Logistics: discover what it is and how to join the current market trend to learn about the industry's latest complaint.

If you want to be part of the digital transformation and technological advances in logistics, join Planner and reinforce the scalability of your business.

Digital transformation in the logistics sector: the 5 keys to achieving digital success
Story about Sant Jordi, home delivery and how to combat coronavirus
Success stories
Sant Jordi, day of the book, the rose and the delivery

Sant Jordi is always a special day, books, roses, queues and people, lots of people. Everyone is out on the street, enjoying a magical day for both children and adults. It is the day of the year when the most books are sold, 7.5% of annual sales In the city of Barcelona.

DSC 9369

This year will be special. We'll have to spend it at home, enjoying a good read, our recommendation for these days The Black Swan by Nassim Taleb. This year we will save ourselves the hassle of Las Ramblas and we will have to buy the roses online. Without a doubt, a special year.

We want to take advantage of this important date to see the success of initiatives that, in a normal year, would hardly have achieved such overwhelming success.

One of our customers Santjordiacasa.com is using Highway as a tool to optimize the distribution of roses on such a special date as Sant Jordi.

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Thanks to the power of the Highway route planner, they have been able to grow in deliveries and reach customers that would have been impossible for them before.

Like them, hundreds of other customers are entering a world such as home delivery. A channel that had often been completely forgotten. Thanks, or unfortunately, COVID-19 has forced the launch of new marketing channels such as Ecommerce and its own distribution and home delivery.

We are seeing this in our traditional customers, distribution companies to the HORECA channel that are converting to home distributors overnight.

Pastry shops such as Cropics they were able to deliver all the Easter monkeys in record time and have the detail of leaving a monkey at my wife's grandmother's house 😁. These types of details make being able to help small businesses make you proud of the work you do and of seeing how you can help more people around you.

repartidor roses sant jordi a casa

We are in a very difficult time for many companies and families. There is little help to get through this crisis and reaching those people we can help is always a challenge. I encourage you to share our story, the story of our users and customers, companies that are embarking on a new adventure, delivery. Without experience, without processes, but with a desire to fight and face the corona, you are not alone.

We won this together.

Sant Jordi, day of the book, the rose and the delivery