There is a completely new way how business is being conducted worldwide as they have gone through technology advancement and automation. Logistics industry is not left behind, rather has been in the forefront as this is the main driver to connect the producer to the consumers. The logistics industry has brought massive improvement over last couple of years and Covid pandemic has helped in speeding up the process. There are new tools with better technology to manage the complex operation which have improved the overall consumer experience, bring more transparency and visibility to the supply chain, and reduce the order processing time. There is a lot of change in customer buying behaviour, corporates are getting used to the online platforms to run their procurement exercise, and individual like to buy products online and expect quick deliveries, even willing to pay additional price sometimes for express deliveries.

INCREMENTAL forward steps towards digitalisation made by the air cargo industry are starting to pay off, observes Thelma Etim. There is no doubt that, in many areas of its business, the airfreight industry is still grappling with the burden of paper airwaybills (AWBs), the accompanying pouch and old-generation ground handling operations, such as airside ramp transport and road feeder services, as well as so many other politically complex matters such as analogue Customs agencies. It is not surprising that any digital changes embraced by carriers and others are already showing benefits. "The development and implementation of next-generation technologies, rapid advances in consumer technology, increasing the shift to cloud computing, the utilisation of internet of things (IoT), big data and machine learning (ML) to collect and analyse large amounts of data – are all currently transforming processes in the [airline] industry," an expansive report by consultancy Frost and Sullivan observes. It predicts the airline digitalisation market will earn more than US$35.42billion

Artificial intelligence (AI) has long been touted as the transformative technology that will usher in the next generation of the logistics industry. While AI is already established in consumer tech, demonstrated by the plethora of virtual assistants, just how does AI work and how might it benefit the airfreight industry? AI simulates the human intelligence process by using complex algorithms and computer systems to acquire information, reach conclusions and solve problems. To make this work, AI requires building block technologies including big data and analytics and the internet of things which have all become highly technical and specialised technologies in their own right. For logistics to work most efficiently, the entire supply chain needs to generate a rich stream of data which can then be collected, analysed and used to optimise productivity.

Traditional and new-school retailers alike are using AI and robotics to automate various parts of the retail chain, from manufacturing to last-mile delivery. Retail is under pressure to crack the AI code. After all, corporations in every industry are scrambling to adapt and integrate artificial intelligence into their products -- and retail is no exception. Learn how Walmart, Amazon, Sephora, Zara, and other retailers are using AI to reinvent the brick-and-mortar store. For traditional retail giants, this means entering the playing field with the likes of e-commerce behemoths Amazon and Alibaba, both of which are leveraging big data and powerful AI algorithms to transform the retail space. In addition to fierce competition, the need for a change in strategy is being underscored by the record rates at which many US retailers are shutting down. In 2017 alone, 21 retail chains applied for bankruptcy, including high-profile names like RadioShack, Toys R' Us, and Aerosoles.