Logistics managers need to implement location intelligence in supply chains in order to reduce delays, keep costs down, generate a competitive advantage, and thereby improve the global network of multiple carriers, service providers and physical locations from the constant threat of unexpected problems.
By leveraging location intelligence, decision makers gain deeper insight into market trends, consumer behaviors, foot traffic patterns, manufacturing activity, competitors’ logistics operations and much more.
The current global crisis in supply chains is forcing companies to manage their distribution methods by adopting a proactive approach based on Big Data and advanced analytics.
The supply chain crisis has resulted in restaurant chains and fast food outlets running out of key ingredients (e.g.
COVID-19 and climate change have directly impacted the supply chains of the sectors and industries that generate the most economic output.
Unfortunately, fiction has become reality, and a global pandemic coupled with sudden climate changes have increased these problems worldwide, also due to unforeseen events in logistics routes and the exponential increase in online shopping, forcing industries to increase the load of transportation, vehicles, staff and resources in general.
The last mile is the journey of a product from the warehouse shelf to the back of a truck and the customer's door, thus being the final step in the operational process, when the package finally arrives at the consumer's door. In addition to being one of the keys to customer satisfaction, last mile delivery is the most problematic part of the shipping process.
It is one of the logistics areas where Big Data can have a real impact on daily operations, offering the opportunity to optimize internal processes and better control external factors, developing qualitative and quantitative improvements in operations, supply chain areas and logistics processes, bringing significant improvements in last mile deliveries.
By analyzing the large volumes of anonymous data generated by mobile devices, it is possible to establish whether a distribution center has a commercial relationship with other logistics complexes, and even with establishments that serve the end consumer.
Using the most advanced Big Data tools, it is possible to understand the behavior of the supply chains of companies in the retail sector, since by monitoring delivery parts and counting mutual visits between suppliers and vendors, it is possible to identify and establish which are the most important relationships between distribution centers and points of sale to the end consumer, such as stores.
In Guatemala, according to the air transport union, the project of the new cargo airport to be developed in the Port of San Jose, Escuintla, is unfeasible in operational and commercial terms.
Salvadoran carriers estimate that between January and May 2021, the cost of freight between El Salvador and Guatemala has increased from $500 to $548, a rise that is largely explained by the increase in the price of diesel.
Representatives of the Asociacion Salvadorena de Transportistas Internacionales de Carga (ASTIC) state that in recent months the price of a gallon of diesel has increased by $0.63 in the central zone.
Accurately calculating freight costs and delivery times to make online sales profitable for companies are, in this context of the e-commerce rise, some of the most important challenges for the retail sector.
The changes in consumer habits reported in the context of the new commercial reality, which arose quickly as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak and the restrictions imposed on mobility, have forced companies to transform the way they operate.
Identifying whether in the logistics chain of crates used for beverage transportation there are possible illegitimate uses and detecting the points in the process where theft is more likely to occur, are part of the problems that can be solved through business intelligence methodologies.
Nowadays, companies and work teams make decisions and design their business strategies through data analysis and the use of tailor-made Business Intelligence solutions.
Small warehouses located in strategic locations that serve to quickly distribute the merchandise sold online, are the type of properties that in this context of new business reality have gained ground.
When analyzing the Guatemalan market, it is reported that one of the geographic regions in which the productive activity of this sector is increasing is composed of Villa Nueva, Villa Canales and San Miguel Petapa, municipalities of the department of Guatemala that are located south of the capital of the country. This area is a commercial node that has developed quickly in recent years.
Segex, a logistics company that operates in Costa Rica's Coyol Free Zone, invested $10 million to build new infrastructure and equip its facilities.
The Costa Rican company has invested to double its production capacity in order to offer integrated logistics services to important companies in the life sciences industry within the Coyol Free Zone.
According to the official announcement, the new 5,000m² building features a distribution center with space for 6,000 pallet positions, a product conditioning laboratory, spacious receiving and unloading areas, large cold storage rooms as well as common areas designed to promote the well-being of its employees.
Reducing delivery times of products sold through digital channels and maintaining different supply and distribution options to face scenarios of trade restrictions are some of the challenges that companies face in this new business reality.
In Central America during 2020, companies had to adjust quickly to the demands arising from the health crisis caused by the covid-19 outbreak, as restrictions on consumer mobility and face-to-face sales were continuous.
Investment in the construction of new ports is essential for a country like Panama, whose economy depends heavily on the logistics sector, to continue to compete globally in the coming years.
Since nearly one third of Panama's Gross Domestic Product is created by the logistics sector, the development of this productive activity is of great importance for the country.
The industrial complex that began operating in October 2020 in the municipality of Villa Nueva, department of Guatemala, has an area of 43,500 square meters, an installed capacity of 12,000 pallets and required an investment of approximately $27 million.
The new logistics center has 29 dispatch doors and a system of product selection through automated voice command, informed the company dedicated to the commercialization of carbonated beverages and snacks.
In a 30-hectare lot located five kilometers from the Container Terminal in Moin, Costa Rica, construction will begin in the first half of 2021, a logistics complex that will focus on the management of local or imported cargo.
The project, called "Plataforma Logística Caribe" (PLACA), will be placed near Route 32, the road section from Limón to San José.