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.
Location intelligence and POI characterization through Big Data are increasingly being used to make business decisions in the retail, real estate, logistics, and port sectors, among others.
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.
Location choice has become a critical point in the success or failure of any industry, as it has a great impact on the company's overall risk, as well as on transportation, logistics, salaries, rents and raw materials costs, among others.
Where to locate industrial facilities is one of the most important strategic decisions that companies must make. Identifying the optimal location is a spatial problem that requires the comparison of attributes of different locations that have the best combination of the desired variables and qualities.
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.
As a result of the global trade imbalance that has become evident in the last year and the considerable increase in logistics costs, Guatemalan importers are beginning to look to Brazil as an option to replace purchases from Chinese companies.
In early March of this year, CentralAmericaData reported that as a result of the imbalance faced by world trade flows, shipping lines have changed their routes and prefer to move empty containers to Asia, a situation that at that time already generated shortages and caused increases in transport rates.
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.
Due to the imbalance in world trade flows, shipping lines have changed their routes and prefer to move empty containers to Asia, a situation that generates shortages and causes increases in freight rates and raw material prices.
In this scenario of new commercial reality, the operating costs of maritime freight have been impacted, since due to the restrictions imposed in several countries around the world, containers have been stranded.
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.