AI as an integral part of transportation and logistics management
A recent benchmark study by Descartes shows that 97% of the European shippers and logistics service providers surveyed use artificial intelligence - from automated data entry to route optimization. Financially successful companies in particular use AI strategically and thus clearly stand out from the crowd.
Artificial intelligence is no longer a topic of the future in the European transport and logistics industry. This is shown by the latest European transport management benchmark study by Descartes, for which 300 high-ranking decision-makers at shippers and logistics service providers were surveyed. According to the study, 97% of respondents use AI to transform their transport processes - from automated data entry to route optimization.
«The question is no longer whether companies use AI, but how deeply it is integrated into decision-making processes and operational procedures. And this is where market leaders stand out from the crowd,» says Elmer Spruijt, VP Transport Management EMEA at Descartes.
Frontrunners use AI more strategically
Although AI is used across the industry, financially successful companies are clearly leading the way. Within this group, 61 percent use AI for automated data entry and 52 percent for freight forecasting. It is particularly striking that market leaders use AI more frequently than others for strategic applications - such as dynamic price optimization and ramp planning (39 percent each).
AI across the board: focus on automation
Looking at the industry as a whole, the use of AI in the transportation and logistics sector is primarily focused on automating processes and improving decision-making. For example, 41% of respondents use AI to automate data entry and process unstructured data. 37% use AI for route and load optimization, 32% for load consolidation and capacity purchasing. In addition, 29 percent of respondents stated that they use AI for freight forecasting.
Shippers are ahead of logistics service providers
The study also shows that shippers have a technological advantage over logistics service providers. For example, 45% of shippers use AI to automate data entry, compared to 36% of logistics service providers. A similar difference can be seen in route and load optimization: 42% of shippers and 31% of logistics service providers use AI for this purpose. This reflects the high willingness of shippers in particular to invest in technology, which goes hand in hand with their direct responsibility for the supply chain.
Generative AI as a clear priority
Beyond the current areas of application, generative AI is becoming increasingly strategically important. A quarter of respondents (25 percent) cite the introduction of generative AI tools as an important strategy for improving operational processes and customer service.
Since 2017, Descartes has conducted an annual benchmark study among transport and logistics managers to analyze strategies, operational approaches and expectations in the industry. For the European part of the current study, 300 transport management executives were surveyed - 75 each from Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Source: www.descartes.com
