DHL Presents the Trend Report “Next Generation Wireless in Logistics”

DHL has presented the new trend report ‘Next Generation Wireless in Logistics’, providing a comprehensive outlook on the development of wireless networks. The complete connectivity of all participants along the supply chain is no longer a utopia.

(Bonn) DHL has published the new trend report “Next Generation Wireless in Logistics”, which offers a comprehensive outlook on the development of wireless networks and the future of the Internet of Things (IoT) in logistics. The report highlights perspectives from the logistics industry and provides current statistics.

Complete Connectivity

Wireless communication technology made headlines even before the COVID-19 crisis. The focus was primarily on the 5G mobile networks being rolled out in many countries. These include higher speeds, greater capacity, and tailored services for connected smart devices of the new generation.

In addition to 5G technology, there have been advancements in several other different wireless communication technologies. These can improve transparency, increase operational efficiency, and accelerate automation. For industrial use, well-known technologies such as WiFi and Bluetooth, as well as lesser-known ones like Low Power Area Networks (LPWAN) and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, have been further developed. With these next-generation wireless technologies, another step in the communication revolution is possible, leading to a new world where everyone and everything can be connected anywhere.

Connected Future in Logistics

Recently, DHL surveyed 800 supply chain managers – 60 percent of whom indicated that the transparency of their supply chain is currently insufficient. The three central challenges most frequently mentioned by respondents are achieving true end-to-end transparency, the lack of a central platform to drive IoT initiatives, and fragmented data collection from inherently heterogeneous supply chains.

In a future where everyone and everything is connected, there are three advantages for the logistics industry:

1. Full Transparency: Every shipment, every logistics asset, and every logistics infrastructure and facility will be connected thanks to widely available networks and affordable high-performance sensors. This will lead to highly efficient automation, process improvements, faster and more transparent incident resolution, and ultimately the best service quality for B2B and B2C customers.
2. Extensive Autonomy: All autonomous vehicles, whether indoor robots or logistics vehicles on public roads, rely on ultra-fast, reliable wireless communication to navigate and move in their environment. These solutions are currently on the rise, and next-generation wireless technologies are a crucial enabler to further advance their use and establish autonomous supply chains worldwide.
3. Optimized Prediction: With so many things being online, the volume, speed, and variety of data collected will be three times greater than the vast amounts of data we already generate today. The ongoing advancements in machine learning systems and artificial intelligence, combined with the very low latency of wireless technologies, mean that data-driven prediction systems for forecasts, delivery times, and routing will no longer be constrained by delays and performance of wireless networks.

“Comprehensive connectivity is an extraordinary technological and social success story. IoT is not new in logistics; after all, there are already twenty billion connected devices in use worldwide. But this is just the beginning. Countless technologies are being improved simultaneously and rapidly, they are also cost-effective and increasingly ubiquitous. They are becoming more accessible. This opens up unprecedented opportunities for the development of applications and use cases,” explains Matthias Heutger, SVP, Global Head of Innovation & Commercial Development at DHL. “Our trend report presents each of these next-generation wireless technologies, explains and compares them, shows their practical applications, but also their limitations. Furthermore, we demonstrate how the potential of these technologies will quickly become an essential part of the supply chain of tomorrow.”

The next-generation wireless technologies have a wide range and promise to achieve the different and often competing goals. DHL’s trend report includes a special section that describes how the latest wireless technologies work, highlights some innovative projects currently being developed in the industry, and provides implementation guidelines for supply chain organizations.

Graphics: © DPDHL
www.dpdhl.com