Modern shipping operations generate huge amounts of data – are you making the best possible use of it to improve your logistics management?
Analytical systems can take the mountain of data your business generates, and help you sift through it to better understand every aspect of your shipping operation. When you’re tracking the right KPIs and metrics, you’ll be able to identify patterns – good or bad – within your operations, understand why they’re happening, and make high-likelihood predictions of future behaviors. This all leads to improved logistics management, and better business decisions.
Choose The Right Metrics to Track
What are the biggest challenges facing your operation? Which areas would you most like to improve? Focus on metrics relating to those. For example, if you have issues with your warehouse response time, you can dig deep into issues relating to order picking, packaging, and time to put the item on the road. These insights will then point toward the specific areas which need improvement.
More Data Leads to Better Forecasts
The longer you collect robust data on your operations, the more useful it becomes. Once you have at least a year’s worth of data, you’ll be able to make forecasts based on past performance – such as, predicting high and low demand, or anticipating potential problems in your supply chain. With a better idea of what’s to come, it becomes easier to make smarter future plans.
Look For Robust, Customizable Analytical Tools
When a company is just beginning to track data, they can ‘get by’ with regular office software such as standard spreadsheets. However, before long, more robust tools will be called for. The best analytical software packages are also highly configurable and can be set up to analyze the specific data sets you want, based on the criteria you choose.
Analytical software isn’t “one size fits all,” or at least needs to be customized for best results.
Human Insight Is Still Needed
AI data analysis is a tool, but it’s not a magic bullet. A computer can’t (and shouldn’t) tell you how to run your business. You’ll still want experienced analysts looking at the data and filtering it through common sense, as well as applying information about real-world events which could skew the data. The combination of brute-force computer data analysis and good human insight produces the best results.
US Logistics Solutions
US Logistics Solutions specializes in helping businesses get a better handle on their shipping and processing data while making the best use of the analytical results for improving logistic management. Contact us to learn more about our services.
