A combination of technological know-how and years of experience in the industry can be the way to take a company to the next level in the years to come.
Technological changes are an inevitable and indispensable element of modern life. These changes range from small novelties in our day to day to complete paradigm shifts in some sectors. We have no choice between accepting or not accepting change, the only thing we can do is to adapt ourselves in the best possible way and prepare our business for the future. The freight and logistics industry is no exception to this continuous change.
Freight Softwares have improved greatly in the last 10 years, automating some processes for tracking, operations and accounting. We also know about e-freight initiatives, like reducing paper usage and improving connectivity among the supply chain. But the change doesn’t stop and we can already hear about the use of drones, robotics, 3D printing, IoT and other leading technologies with impact in the freight and logistics sector in the future. All these innovations are arriving at a time of a new complex worldwide scenario, where we are witnessing the new demands of consumers, who want to buy online easily and quickly, globalization, that links traditional and emerging markets, and the protection of the environment and efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
With these conditions in mind we can do nothing but prepare our business to survive and thrive in the era of technological change. For this reason it is vital to have a team with IT skills. This team can be composed of the new leaders who are able to take advantage of the opportunities of change and also of the teams that we already have and that can be formed and catch up with the new situation.
The right technological skills
The Millennials are very likely to lead this era, as they are the digital natives and easily understand the new technologies. Young people between 18 and 34 years of age have lived, studied and worked with digital processes throughout their lives and swiftly accept technological changes at their workplaces. In contrast, older generations don’t always have that facility to adapt to the use of technologies and require a different learning curve.
But the freight and logistics industry requires far more from a leader than being young, native digital or IT expert. This demanding field needs profiles that are capable of acting before anyone else, identifying growth opportunities related to the digital age and selecting the right business solutions from the wide range of technology tools available nowadays and the ones to come, which is only possible if they have an in-depth knowledge of freight and logistics.
Continuous training
Leaders need competent teams to carry out the technological challenges required by the future of the sector. The teams with which a company already counts maybe won’t lead the change, but they will need to apply it. To do it efficiently, it is necessary to provide them with comprehensive training and the necessary education to recycle their skills and put them at the service of the new paradigm. We should not underestimate the experience and knowledge that these teams have, even if they need some time to get used to the use of new technologies.
A matter of time
Bearing in mind the above said, it is time to begin to incorporate new profiles into our structures, train and educate in IT the valuable members that are already supporting our company and reorganize teams to obtain the best results and take advantage of the opportunities that the era of technological change is offering us.
