Blog: Business Intelligence in logistics

Business Intelligence software creates the possibility to review data and translate this data to useful and well-founded information. Logistics businesses can then use this information to create strategies around it. BI could also provide insights in a company’s costs, orders, loading and unloading times and transport routes. This means BI is an effective way of reducing variable costs, working more efficiently and visualising the supply chain.

By gaining insights in expenses and revenue in combination with business processes, it is possible to increase operational efficiency and profitability.

In the future Business Intelligence will impact logistics companies on an even larger scale. Planners will be the facilitator between the daily operation and the planning system by using data, and will be more involved in dealing with tactical issues like problem-solving and the further improvement of the logistical flows.

Business Intelligence will also cause different business trends to develop. Below we summed up the trends we view as the most important in the near future:

• Collaboration: BI tools will improve collaborative efforts in businesses and facilitate teamwork. Artificial Intelligence and Business Analytics will play a big part in this.
• Integration: Integration software will become more embedded in workflows. This will improve data analysis.
• Machine Learning: Artificial Intelligence will analyse data to provide insights and valuable forecasting.
• Network Advancements: Advancements in technology infrastructure will expand to analyse larger amounts of data so that the integration of new systems will be better supported.
• Data-Driven Culture: By creating a data-driven culture, employees will be able to adopt the above BI trends.