The festive season is one of the key reasons for brands whether it is D2C, B2B or B2C etc. It is a time when sales soar and consumers are looking for impeccable seamless logistics services. However, the increased demand and general chaos in operations often lead to major bottlenecks in production, delivery, packaging, transportation etc.
AI-powered solutions, especially during the festival season can help companies navigate these inefficacies and take preventive measures. From preventing material loss to inventory forecasting, AI is helping businesses stay ahead of the curve to ensure optimized logistics.
Dynamic routing intelligence – With the increased growth of E-commerce and Q-commerce, logistics especially hyperlocal is witnessing a massive high. A few key factors for deliveries especially LMD today are rapid deliveries, same-day deliveries, next-day deliveries etc. The consumer is looking for quick services. This is where AI steps in. By applying AI-powered dynamic routing capabilities, brands can access the complete visibility of their fleet in real-time to ensure optimized delivery operations. This helps in automated route planning for the most time and cost-effective delivery solutions. Route planning, scheduling, rider allocation etc are all taken care of by AI-powered tools to ensure timely deliveries. Advanced applications include preventive measures due to weather and traffic conditions, containment zones etc.
Fleet deployment – Fleet management is key for seamless logistics. Gaps in fleet availability directly affect logistics thus hampering the entire process. During the festival season, this can prove especially distressing for businesses. AI-powered tools help in maintaining an agile and robust fleet that is responsive to demand and supply. AI tools in place ensure that any underutilized assets are also monetized and help in cost optimization.
Inventory management – With access to real-time insights about order placements and cancellations, the sellers can identify the demand and supply graph ahead of time and furnish inventory. The tech tools in place help smoothen the last-mile operations. From the time of collection of an order from the seller to the final last-mile delivery to the customer, the logistics team is now aware of the cancellations and order placements, all thanks to technological advancements and tech-enabled software in place aiding cost optimization as well.
Automated warehouses – Automation in warehousing with the help of AI and machine learning is logistics gold. This not only simplifies and optimizes the entire process but also helps logistics by simplifying order fulfilment, minimizing errors in packaging due to human error, and accelerating packaging and picking of orders. AI-powered tools help in reducing delays and disruptions due to human error, especially in the more manual, labour-intensive tasks thus optimizing logistics operations.
Better Demand Prediction: Demand and supple predictions are possible using algorithms powered by artificial intelligence. With some AI-based tools. This can ease warehouse management and inventory can be managed and reduced better as compared to management by human specialists.
Enhanced customer experience – Enhancing the customer experience is another benefit of AI in logistics. By personalizing and suggesting products based on customers’ buying habits and preferences, AI can enhance customer satisfaction. This helps them become more loyal and appreciative of the company.
AI aids in deploying flawless solutions from warehouse operations to the final delivery to the consumer. From effective sorting to in-time delivery, AI, especially during the festive season ensures that consumer demands are met and the surge in orders does not disrupt the entire chain. Effective insights like traffic situations, rider availability and other unfavourable variables help logistics companies in taking preventive measures to reduce loss of business.
New-age innovations and capability-building with AI-powered tools help logistics companies effectively deal with the increased demand during the festive season including effective AI-powered CRM. From planning inventory to overseeing fleet and staff management, AI helps logistics companies effectively meet increased consumer demands during the festive season.
(The author is Mr. Amit Sah, Associate Director Ecom of CABT Logistics and the views expressed in this article are his own)
