Supply chains and the global health crisis
Businesses in just about every sector have been disrupted by the global pandemic – and none more so than transport and logistics (T&L).
The T&L sector has seen rapid change in recent years, in terms of the type and diversity of work – and that change has now been accelerated by the global health crisis.
eCommerce, and the T&L organisations surrounding the sector, have typically been the least negatively impacted, seeing instead an uptick in demand for online retail and home delivery.
The immediate changes in response to the current crisis have been around maintaining an operational supply chain.
The next focus for the T&L sector is to build a smarter, more flexible and more resilient supply chain.
With some measure of social distancing set to be in place until at least 2022, according to Harvard University researchers, players in the supply chain must find a balance between safety and profitability.
Technology solutions to help the transport and logistics sector bounce back
Worker safety is especially important as we see out the health crisis – but it should also be a key consideration for business leaders at all times.
New research from Gartner Inc. recommends four technology initiatives for T&L and supply chain leaders to implement, in order to maintain safety and resilience during the current crisis and beyond:
- Use telematics and safety solutions to ensure driver safety and reduce fleet costs
- Employ vehicle routing and scheduling solutions to dynamically reroute goods and redeploy assets
- Implement virtual practices that help maintain social distancing, to make interactions more efficient
- Apply trailer and product sensors which monitor and locate critical items as they move through the supply chain.
Honeywell devices & Operational intelligence
Honeywell provides rugged enterprise-grade devices on the Android OS.
Honeywell’s devices for the transport and logistics sector come with Operational Intelligence, a centralised, cloud-based remote asset-management platform.
Operational Intelligence helps T&L operators to manage the complete lifecycle, operational visibility and performance analysis of assets, people and tasks. It improves productivity for mobile-equipped employees and enables quick response to localised health and safety compliance issues and requirements.
Now equipped with health crisis response features, employees have the control to be able to act quickly in any situation – increasing productivity, decreasing device downtime and cutting the frequency of contact and touch.
Operational intelligence: Health crisis response features
- Asset check-out and check-in – By assigning individual devices to specific users, you are able to create a chain of custody and trace each unique device or asset
- Device cleaning manager – Configure cleaning protocols for every device. Schedule hourly, daily or between-shift cleaning for each asset, and log the user, time and date of each clean
- Remote-control and device system wipe – devices can be remotely accessed by IT teams. Teams are able to carry out contactless IT support and device troubleshooting remotely
- Social distance proximity detection – Prioritise and monitor social distancing protocols. Honeywell devices can now log alerts whenever another user gets too close.
Additional features of Operational Intelligence
- Honeywell SmartTalk – SmartTalk can be added to Honeywell’s CT60 (or any modern smartphone). It enables employees to remain connected and to access critical information whilst out on the road
- CT60 mobile device – Honeywell’s ruggedised CT60 device makes contactless proof-of-delivery easy, with barcode scanning and high-resolution image capture. Advanced ruggedisation features mean the device can withstand the drops, tumbles and vibrations if the typical T&L environment
- Disinfectant-ready – Disinfectant-Ready Housings (DRHs) are designed with plastics that can withstand the harshness of frequent cleaning and disinfecting
- Enterprise mobility solutions – Honeywell’s managed mobility services improve operational efficiencies by managing spare pools (including (device repair and commissioning), managing assets, and providing multi-tier application support for the T&L environment
- Edge services – Edge services are a full-service solution that you can customise to fit your exact business requirements. T&L operators have a variety of options to support Honeywell devices throughout the entire lifecycle, reducing the total cost of ownership by 50%.
Stream TMS system
In addition to hardware and systems for Honeywell, Stream’s Transport Management System gives you a way to easily manage your entire logistics operation.
Automatically plan and optimise routes, track drivers in real-time, capture electronic proof of delivery and improve customer service.
How Stream TMS helps transport and logistics workers to stay safe:
- Contactless Proof of Delivery: in the Stream Mobile Driver App you can capture electronic proof of delivery in the form of a photograph only, to maintain social distancing standards
- Routing and scheduling: Stream’s intelligent route planning allows you to remain flexible while optimising multi-drop delivery and collection routes
- Telematics integration: integrate with Teletrac Navman to implement powerful vehicle tracking, fleet telematics and driver behaviour data.
The future of transport & logistics
The demands of T&L operations are constantly shifting – and leaders in the sector need to be able to rely on their technology keep up with an evolving sector.
As well as the technology that improves operational efficiency, productivity and accuracy, it is also imperative that you make use of technology to maintain safety.
Tools that help to maintain social distancing and cleaning procedures are an essential part of the ‘new normal’.
Schedule a demo to see how Honeywell & Stream can work with you to shape the future of your T&L operation.
