September 25, 2024

WiseTech Global’s Data Moat: The Future of Global Trade Intelligence

September 25, 2024/ john mabe

WiseTech Global, the logistics software powerhouse, has built an unparalleled "data moat" through its flagship product, CargoWise. With access to over 55% of global manufactured trade flows, WiseTech has amassed a vast trove of data that gives it unique visibility into global trade. This article explores how WiseTech can leverage its dataset not only to enhance customer efficiency but also to unlock new business models — from providing real-time trade analytics to monetizing insights for hedge funds and financial institutions.

September 09, 2024

Why Humanoid Robots Will Win Over Specialized Robots

September 09, 2024/ john mabe

Humanoid robots, empowered by AI and large language models, are poised to transform warehouse automation with their flexibility, adaptability, and cost-efficiency at scale - outpacing fleets of specialized robots.

April 30, 2023

Future-Proofing Your Warehouse with Multi-Agent Orchestration: Key Features to Consider

April 30, 2023/ john mabe

Future-proofing your warehouse operation is essential in a world where e-commerce is booming and customer expectations are sky-high. A multi-agent orchestration platform can be a powerful tool in this regard, enabling you to connect and coordinate different agents and systems in real-time to optimize workflow and maximize efficiency. But what are the key features you should be looking for in such a platform? In this post, we'll explore the critical capabilities that can help you unlock the full potential of a multi-agent orchestration platform and stay ahead of the curve in the competitive world of warehouse operations

April 26, 2023

Is a Multi-Agent Orchestration Platform Right for Your Warehouse? Let's Find Out

April 26, 2023/ john mabe

In recent years, there has been a significant shift towards automation and optimization of warehouse operations. One of the latest technologies for warehouse operations gaining attention is the multi-agent orchestration platform. According to a recent Gartner report, “by 2026 over 50% of companies deploying intralogistics robots in the warehouse will have a multiagent orchestration platform.”

In this blog post, we will explore what a multi-agent orchestration platform is, how it works, and whether your business needs one.

April 25, 2023

Automation vs. Orchestration: Understanding the Differences and Why They Matter in Fulfillment Centers

April 25, 2023/ john mabe

Automation offers a range of benefits for warehouses, from increasing productivity to reducing risk related to labor. But to harness its full potential, companies need to develop a strategy for Orchestration

June 11, 2020

Covid-19, Warehouse Automation and National Security

June 11, 2020/ john mabe

One big takeaway from Covid-19, is that we have learned the lengths people will go to for a roll of toilet paper, hand sanitizer or pasta, and even gluten-free pasta. Shoppers behaving badly was mildly amusing, albeit a little sad as panic buying emptied store shelves quicker then they could be restocked. Grocery stores and supply chains in general were wildly unprepared for a pandemic and the sudden surge in demand for certain products.

June 01, 2020

The Decimation of Retail Jobs in One Chart

June 01, 2020/ john mabe

The number of warehousing and storage jobs since 2010 has more than doubled in the U.S. while retail employment has been flat (and negative since Covid-19) over the same period of time.

Chart shows the percentage change in employment since 2010.

May 17, 2020

Covid-19 and the Rapid Acceleration of Online Commerce

May 17, 2020/ john mabe

Over the last ten years, online shopping has experienced slow and steady growth from a relatively small group of consumers who frequently shopped online. As a percent of total retail sales, online shopping has increased about 1% per year to 16% of total retail sales in 2019. It’s been a clear trend that was widely expected to continue sustained, albeit somewhat slow growth.

Fast forward to 2020, and to see how Covid-19 is reshaping purchasing habits…

September 05, 2018

Ways to think about the Supply Chain of the Future: Artificial Intelligence

September 05, 2018/ john mabe

The fact that supply chains and logistics companies already have a vast amount of data and processes that could be turned into actionable insights rather quickly, just means that there is potential for AI to take supply chains on a journey from very good to perfect.

Artificial intelligence techniques allow for vast amounts of data to be analyzed, categorized, and then turned into actionable insights with reduced or no human input. As an example,

April 22, 2018

Long-Haul Trucking: The First and Best Use Case for Level 5 Self-Driving Vehicles

April 22, 2018/ john mabe

Transportation has been the source of some of the greatest innovations in human history from the invention of the wheel to automobiles, ships , trains, planes, and rockets. These innovations have profoundly impacted how we move around, how we trade, and how quickly and cost effectively this all happens. Autonomous vehicles may very well be the next great innovation in transportation but the journey will likely be a long one.

March 31, 2018

My Entry to the DHL Logistics Innovation Challenge

March 31, 2018/ john mabe

I entered the 2017 DHL innovation challenge which was a contest to apply the principles of the sharing economy to logistics. There were more than 60 entries and the winner of this year’s challenge was Parcelly, a UK startup that provides on-demand collection points to resolve the problems associated with failed deliveries.

Below is the full written proposal and the video I submitted for the challenge. My idea was called Flexi-Deliv, a crowdsourced final mile hub and delivery platform that aims to create a hassle-free delivery experience for online shoppers through a sharing community of local businesses, neighbors, and couriers.

March 31, 2018

Rebuild Your Supply Chain With the IoT

March 31, 2018/ Catherine Metcalf

By now, you may be familiar with how the Internet of Things, or IoT, makes daily life much more convenient for the average consumer. The IoT refers to devices that connect to a network; wearable fitness trackers, smart thermostats, and voice-activated home assistants all qualify as IoT products.

However, these items by no means represent the full scope of benefits that IoT programming has to offer. Businesses can also take advantage of this technology to optimize their global supply chains.

March 12, 2018

Disrupting Logistics: 4 Innovative Blockchain Startups to Watch in 2018

March 12, 2018/ john mabe

The global logistics market is predicted to reach US 15.5 trillion in 2023. The world runs on trade and traditionally the industry has been plagued by inefficient processes, middlemen, and archaic technology. As a result, venture capital has poured into logistics startups over the last few years in an attempt to digitize the supply chain.

February 28, 2018

A Blockchain Primer for Logistics and Supply Chain

February 28, 2018/ john mabe

The blockchain is a fascinating technology innovation that has the potential to disrupt many different industries. Here is a brief primer on the technology and potential use cases in supply chain and logistics. A blockchain is an open and distributed, digital ledger that can record transactions between two parties in an efficient and verifiable manner without the need of an intermediary.

November 21, 2017

This is the Exciting Future of Augmented Reality

November 21, 2017/ Rae Steinbach

This is a guest post from Rae Steinbach at Y Media Labs, an award-winning mobile strategy and application development company based in Silicon Valley. The topic, augmented reality (AR), is of particular interest to me both personally and professionally. I have written about use cases for augmented reality in logistics here, and Y Media Labs has actually developed an AR drone flight simulator app in partnership with Drone Company DJI and Epson. These guys are really plugged into the future of AR - I hope you enjoy.

Connecting the Dots on Amazon's patents in Logistics

I've dug into Amazon's patent filings over the last five years and mined the patent titles for keywords related to inventory and logistics. Patents range from the mundane like optimization of packaging sizes or allocating regional inventory to reduce out-of-stock costs to the more technologically advanced like autonomous vehicles, mobile ground-based fulfillment centers, and drones. At the far end of the spectrum are topics that appear to be more the realm of sci-fi fantasy like underwater warehouses, airborne warehouses, and beehive-like warehouses, but hey, who knows.

Automation in Logistics and the Future of Work

Several recent studies have suggested that nearly half of all jobs are susceptible to automation in the next 20 years. Robots and artificial intelligence are poised to displace jobs in various industries, and the logistics industry is highly vulnerable to job loss. Recently notable tech leaders have made statements in regards to how to deal with automation displacing jobs. Bill Gates has argued for a robot tax to recapture money that displaced workers would have paid as income tax. Elon Musk advocates for a universal basic income...

Amazon’s Moat Widens: The Dominance of Amazon in one Chart

Everyone knows that Amazon dominates the U.S. eCommerce retail market, but exactly how well are they doing? According to data from Slice Intelligence, which scanned more than 1 million digital shopping receipts, Amazon accounted for 46 percent of all online spending in the U.S. in the final weeks leading up to Christmas. Overall, Amazon took 39% of all online spending from Thanksgiving to Christmas.

Logistics Technology Trends That Will Dominate 2017

Making predictions in technology, even just one year out, are generally an exercise in futility, so this really isn't a forecast for 2017, but more a list of trends that I am interested in and keeping my eye on. Technology is rarely released according to plan and surprises can come from many directions. However, it makes sense to keep tabs on what’s coming and it's also great fun to think about what’s coming next. Here's what I will be looking out for in 2017:

The“Uber-for-X” Model and the Complexity of On-Demand Delivery

Uber’s success in disrupting transportation has led to enormous VC funding of “Uber-for-X” businesses where smartphones are used to connect customers with nearby workers on demand. A number of startups have entered the same-day / same-hour delivery market with the intent of fundamentally transforming how we shop and eat.

Ways to think about Last Mile Delivery

Last mile delivery is going to change significantly over the next few decades. A sea-change is upon the Logistics industry and as is often the case when an industry is about to be turned upside-down, there are a number of converging factors, both societal and technological, that are accelerating the pace of change.

Logistics Technology