Supply chain management plays a crucial role in any business, impacting its daily operations both directly and indirectly. It’s a complex process with its fair share of challenges. Technology has become an integral part of this field, offering numerous advantages as well as posing certain challenges. On the positive side, technology helps reduce costs, enhance efficiency, manage inventory effectively, and ensure the safety of data. However, it also brings about added complexities, particularly in terms of cybersecurity and scalability. Additionally, investing in technology requires both time and money for training and implementation.
These skills are the necessary things that are required for successful hospital management, optimal patient care, operational efficiency, and adhering to healthcare regulations.
Now, let’s shift our focus to a fascinating technological development that’s gaining traction in the freight and logistics industry ‘Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)’, better known as drones. Originally designed mainly for military purposes, drones have quickly found applications in various other sectors.
Drones have proven to be incredibly versatile within the supply chain. Drones in Supply chain can play essential roles on both land and in the air when it comes to deliveries. Nowadays, we’re witnessing their growing use in Warehouse Operations, where they assist in tasks such as managing inventory and locating misplaced items. They’re also being employed to transport goods between distribution centers, bridging the gap in the last-mile delivery process—a part of the journey that can be quite costly.
These developments highlight the evolving landscape of technology within the logistics industry, demonstrating how drones are becoming indispensable tools for more efficient and effective supply chain management.
Collaborative efforts between trucks and drones are on the rise, relying on seamless information sharing to execute air deliveries to multiple destinations right from the delivery truck. This groundbreaking system, referred to as multi-UAV parallel delivery, could become an integral part of future supply chains. Prominent companies like Amazon are gearing up to expand their drone delivery initiatives.
As we move forward, the convergence of artificial intelligence will introduce sweeping changes across various sectors, potentially reducing human involvement in processes. Modern technology is already strengthening the military, humanitarian aid, food supply, and healthcare industries. This shift calls for innovative transportation management processes that, while promising logistic breakthroughs, also grapple with the challenges of globalisation and the adoption of diverse transportation modes, which need increasing cooperation.
UAVs bring the potential for free market enterprises to flourish.
Operating drones can be cost-effective, offering savings in terms of time and resources.
Enhanced collaboration and information sharing across the supply chain increase productivity.
Drones promote collaboration among various stakeholders.
Easily integrating last-mile delivery options, including multiple modes of transport
Drones have applications in maritime and military logistics, even at a strategic level.
They drive innovation in management, operations, processes, communications, and data collection.
Drones lead to improved services, aligning with evolving consumer choices.
Provide comprehensive visibility and accurate deliveries.
Expedite deliveries, reducing overall delivery times.
Drones are unaffected by road conditions, ensuring consistent deliveries.
UAVs offer an eco-friendly approach to logistics
While information sharing has advantages, it also poses challenges.
Privacy concerns may arise with drone surveillance.
Protecting drone networks from cyber threats is paramount.
Initial training and setup costs can be substantial.
Building trust and managing data exchange between stakeholders is crucial.
These are just the initial considerations for organisations venturing into drone logistics. By 2030, it’s estimated that 10 million drones will take to the skies, necessitating the development of a robust drone superhighway system and significant regulatory changes in the aerospace industry.
The rise of passenger drones, initiated by China in 2016, signals a shift in the labour market. By 2030, we may face a significant worker shortage, intensifying the demand for advanced technologies. These changes will reverberate across governments, military operations, and commercial endeavours, bringing both positive and negative impacts on society.
Drones have come a long way from being considered cool toys for individuals to becoming critical tools for businesses. Their potential economic benefits are increasingly under the spotlight. Amazon, for instance, is actively exploring their use for parcel deliveries.
While the use of drones in public is still governed by complex regulations in most countries, their use within the walls of a warehouse is a different story, particularly for intra-logistical tasks. Indoor flights present fewer challenges compared to outdoor operations, as they don’t require direct human supervision due to the controlled environment. Drones navigate these indoor spaces autonomously, guided by advanced software that allocates tasks efficiently and ensures collision avoidance.
The primary application of warehouse drones is the transportation of items. These drones are typically small and lightweight, ideal for navigating narrow aisles and tall shelves. Despite their compact size, they boast enough payload capacity to transport items seamlessly from A to B.
The primary application of warehouse drones is the transportation of items. These drones are typically small and lightweight, ideal for navigating narrow aisles and tall shelves. Despite their compact size, they boast enough payload capacity to transport items seamlessly from A to B.
One innovative application is in-house spare parts transport. Drones are gaining popularity in this area, efficiently delivering required items directly to assembly lines or conveyor belts. This saves crucial time, reduces machine downtime, and prevents production losses. For instance, automobile manufacturer Audi employs drones to transport spare parts at speeds of up to 8 kilometres per hour, ensuring a continuous workflow without requiring assembly line workers to leave their stations.
Drones also revolutionise the annual inventory process. Traditional manual stock counts are time-consuming, often needing weeks of labour, and lead to high overtime costs. Inventory by drone streamlines this task, reducing the time required to the bare minimum. Equipped with high-resolution cameras and advanced scanning technologies, these drones capture 30 images per second, meticulously documenting all items on shelves. The images are swiftly analysed, providing real-time stock levels and identifying storage errors through colour-coded indicators.
In this field, American-based retail giant Walmart is leading the charge. The company is actively working on transitioning to a fully drone-operated inventory system, with plans to extend it across all its subsidiaries. This transition promises enormous time and cost savings while enabling more efficient staff allocation. With the increasing advancement of technology, we will see more developments in the future.
Initial training and setup costs can be substantial.
Drones have the potential to revolutionise the logistics industry by offering a faster and more efficient means of delivering goods. They find utility at various points within the supply chain, aiding both land and air transportation. Drones excel at reducing delivery times, ensuring swift order fulfilment, and providing the best customer satisfaction. Moreover, they have the capacity to cut costs by eliminating the need for ground transportation, thus minimising fuel consumption and optimising delivery routes.
Nevertheless, before fully embracing drone technology in logistics operations, it’s essential to consider potential limitations and drawbacks. These include restricted payload capacity and range, complex government regulations, and safety concerns. The ongoing evolution of drone technology, with the development of more potent engines and batteries, promises the ability to transport larger and heavier cargo over extended distances.
The vast impact of drones deliveries, especially on the logistics industry, is looking to be transformative. This holds the potential to increase productivity, reshape the distribution and transportation of products, and create safer working environments. But anything good also comes with its own set of challenges and considerations. Including but not limited to financial costs, training requirements, and cyber security risks.
Drones can significantly improve sustainability in logistics. A study comparing the environmental impact of various ‘last-mile‘ delivery methods revealed that greenhouse gas emissions per parcel were 84% lower for drones compared to diesel trucks. Additionally, drones consume up to 94% less energy per parcel with respect to trucks. The study, featured in the Transportation Research Record, found that, even on an “average windy” day, delivery drones needed only 15.8% more energy than Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) but a whopping 73% less energy than diesel trucks.
We arrive at the conclusion that the integration of drones into logistics and supply chain management promises an exciting future. There are many challenges, but their benefits, namely cost reduction, sustainability, and efficiency, are too good not to choose this. With the steady rise in technological advancements, it might not take that long to see drones taking on active and crucial roles in logistics and deliveries. The way forward looks absolutely promising, as long as we are ready to navigate it with thoughtfulness and consideration, balancing responsibility with responsibility.
