Effective supply chain management is becoming one of the factors that give companies a competitive edge.
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In the B2B sector, delivery times, transport reliability, and the ability to optimize logistics costs are crucial. Please take a look at our guide to learn about innovative solutions that help modernize the planning and optimization of transport and logistics operations.
Automation of logistics processes, or easier supply chain management – why is it necessary in B2B?
Manual supply chain management in the transport of goods for the B2B sector has significant limitations in terms of scaling operations.
Procedures related to the automation of goods logistics include, among others, automatic allocation of transport orders, integration with the invoicing system, route planning using artificial intelligence, and real-time resource management.
Important! According to a McKinsey study, early adopters of AI solutions in supply chain management reduced logistics costs by 15%, improved inventory levels by 35%, and increased customer service levels by 65%.
Thus, automation shortens response times to transport orders, reduces the risk of errors, and optimizes costs. In practice, the systems automatically assign routes to specific carriers based on developed algorithms, and transport orders can be issued with minimal human involvement.
As an AsstrA expert emphasizes, “Telematics guarantees full control and transparency of transport. Customers control the arrival time of goods, track the location of vehicles and parking lots online, and monitor actual travel time and downtime at loading and unloading points.”
What challenges arise when integrating rail freight transport with other forms of transport?
Track lengths, capacity, and formal requirements are significant challenges faced by logistics and transport companies. In international transport, there are also language barriers and different customs zones.
Therefore, intelligent supply chain management reduces the negative impact of the following factors on the effectiveness of transport operations for B2B companies:
- underdeveloped terminal infrastructure complicates transshipments;
- lack of document standardization slows down clearance processes;
- regulatory differences between countries affect delivery times and costs;
- the lack of interoperability between IT systems hinders automation.
It is therefore crucial to choose partners who have experience in multimodal transport. A well-designed supply chain can minimize risk and increase delivery fluidity.
Why is rail transport becoming a key element of the supply chain?
Rail is gaining importance because it ensures stability and predictability of deliveries. This is of great value to B2B businesses that cannot afford downtime. Road traffic can be unpredictable and fuel costs are unstable.
In practice, a logistics company helps to reduce these risks through intelligent project logistics in the context of rail, road, sea, and air transport.
With fixed timetables, you can better plan production, storage, and distribution. Today’s railways are nothing like they were decades ago. We now have automated solutions, GPS monitoring, and IT system integration. These give you complete control over your shipment.
So…
- rail transport reduces the risk of delays and price fluctuations;
- the possibility of integration with road and sea transport increases flexibility;
- fixed schedules facilitate supply chain planning;
- modern IT platforms provide access to real-time data.
B2B companies can operate faster, more accurately, and more cost-effectively. The key is skillful delivery planning, as intermodality is now the standard. It is a type of intelligent supply chain management that uses different forms of transit, such as road, rail, and sea, depending on the type of goods being transported.
How can the profitability of implementing rail transport as part of intelligent supply chain management be assessed?
Every decision must have a business justification. Introducing rail into the supply chain can mean savings, but not always. To assess this, you need some information about volumes, delivery frequencies, routes, and alternative costs.
In many industries, rail only becomes profitable above a certain volume or with fixed routes. It is therefore worth conducting a pilot test of several deliveries on a specific route. Only then should you decide on scaling. You should know that…
- the unit cost of transport may be lower than for road transport;
- rail offers greater reliability on long routes;
- a pilot allows you to test real operating conditions;
- a TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) analysis gives you a complete picture of profitability.
To perform a TCO analysis in the context of intelligent supply chain management for rail transport, you need to consider not only direct costs, such as freight and terminal handling, but also indirect costs, such as delays, risk of cargo loss, and infrastructure wear and tear.
Rail is not always cheaper at first glance, but it can be more predictable and stable for long-term transport orders.
Why invest in intelligent supply chain management systems?
Rail, road, and sea transport are entering a digital age in which data and intelligent systems are becoming as important as physical means of transport. In 2025, smart supply chains will increasingly use integrated technologies such as AI, IoT, telematics, blockchain, and predictive analytics. All this is necessary to meet the challenges of modern logistics:
- growing customer demands;
- the need to reduce costs and CO2 emissions;
- increasing the resilience of transport systems to disruptions.
The implementation of these innovations brings real benefits to B2B companies: higher operational efficiency (e.g., fuel savings, better fleet utilization), improved delivery timeliness and process transparency, as well as increased transport safety.
At the same time, the industry is learning on the fly how to overcome barriers to the integration of new technologies, from data problems to organizational issues. The pace of supply chain digitization is expected to accelerate in the coming years. Competition will force investments in AI and automation on an increasingly larger scale, and regulations (e.g., EU regulations on the exchange of digital transport documentation or environmental standards) will be an additional catalyst for change.
Bibliography:
- https://gjia.georgetown.edu/2024/02/05/the-role-of-ai-in-developing-resilient-supply-chains
- https://asstra.pl/aktualnosci/aktualnosci-asstra/2019/10/telematyka-gwarancja-bezpiecznego-transportu
- https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Use_of_artificial_intelligence_in_enterprises
