AR software solutions and integrated apps are playing significant roles in improving logistics operation and the overall flow of the supply chain.
Companies in many areas are now finding more ways to use Augmented Reality (AR) for their business. AR, the expansion of physical reality which has been growing tremendously for the past few years is now supporting diverse areas of the logistics industry. The digital transformation of this customer-centric business can be supported to a great extent with support from professional AR development services.
Many logistics & transportation industry players are considering AR solutions to enhance operations that are carried out regularly such as - inventory management, warehouse management, customer service, employee management, and more. For instance, Amazon, the world’s biggest distributor, and retailer required a reliable solution for its managers to monitor business operations at different locations. It is now successfully using AR/ VR in the supply chain, which is increasing its sales and achieving a higher level of customer satisfaction.
Timely and proper delivery is crucial in the transportation and cargo business to ensure a positive customer experience. Optimizing these areas will significantly improve productivity and the number of errors that occur due to manual calculations will be reduced, which will lead to improvements in quality control and efficiency.
So, how can AR build smooth and reliable operations in the logistics industry and solve diverse issues effectively? Let us look into its 4 effective ways in detail.
IMPROVE WAREHOUSE OPERATIONS
One of the biggest problems in warehousing is figuring out a way to use space to the fullest, fit as many goods as possible into a limited space, while bearing in mind that some products have to be stored in specific conditions. That is warehousing operations such as packing, storage, and putting-away form a good percentage of all the expenses in the logistics business.
Picking the right products from the right place based on orders also makes warehouse management more strenuous. So, how about you check for yourself whether a planned spatial arrangement is really effective, even before it is put into practice? Yes, it works, with computer-generated visualizations and 3D model projections, augmented reality (AR) technology, which offers solutions to these problems. Warehouse workers can make use of AR apps or software to ease up their routine tasks.
For instance, AR smart glasses-based vision picking provides staff with an online picking list. This list supports accurate path planning, which reduces their travel time to the product destination. Even finding necessary items on shelves is easy with barcode scanning in AR wear glasses. With such options, employee training, as well as last-mile delivery, can also be done faster. AR devices can easily optimize freight picking, packing, and loading concerns.
SAFETY CONCERNS IN TRANSPORTATION
For the final delivery of the product, orders have to be moved from the warehouse and the shipping process needs to be carried out. Manual dealings of the management of product delivery details to various hubs consume a lot of productive time of the staff. Noting down the details in the paper often leads to confusion and it is vulnerable to mishaps.
The 3D view of the routes can replace any office’s traditional navigation system, which helps in improving efficiency in delivering the right products and meeting customer requirements on time. Effective fleet management through digitally connected devices and AR software can assist in tracking maintenance schedules, vehicle usage, and service routes, and cut fleet downtime.
TRAFFIC CONCERNS
Traffic jams are common in a cargo transportation company and it often affects the supply chain and the smooth flow of goods. AR driver assistance apps can optimize routes with real-time traffic data and this will provide dynamic traffic support. This helps the driver to choose the right path to avoid traffic and make the travel a smooth experience.
It can also reduce any accidents or congestion and thus saves costs to a great extent. AR tools come with display maps and additional information so that driving decisions can be made on that basis.
STOCK AND INVENTORY MANAGEMENT
Physically moving around the warehouse to manage and report stocks, is really a hectic task. Inventory management is an otherwise complex process in this sector. AR wearable devices make innovative changes here by assisting workers to manage stocks hands-free.
Its guided pickup feature helps in choosing the correct pickup or delivery point in an easier way. It can also prevent any delays in packing. AR integrated devices can provide route guidance to know the exact whereabouts of the stock and reach them much faster.
In a Nutshell
The use of augmented reality in the logistics sector comes with several key capabilities that can significantly improve productivity, cost-effectiveness, and overall optimization of the business. According to the report from Transparency Market Research, key factors driving AR in the warehousing and logistics market are the rising importance of AR and technological advancements in logistics and warehouse operations.
The forthcoming technological advancements, industrial development, and innovative techniques developed for use of AR in this specific industry are the key factors fueling the market during the forecast period 2018-2026.
Another report from All The Research notes that due to the increasing demand for AR devices and applications, the global AR VR in the logistics and supply chain market ecosystem is expected to grow at a CAGR of 39% by 2023.
Some of the effective AR apps that serve the logistics industry are - AR Logistics, Logistics Mobile, and Logistics Focus. AR Logistics app supports many services in the sector such as - rail, air, road, and sea freight, warehouse management, and fast delivery. Logistics Mobile is an order management application created specifically for distribution companies and delivery services. Logistics Focus, from the Transport Corporation of India, is a single-window for all logistics solutions.
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