Transportation is a mammoth market that is gradually embracing the web and mobile apps. Unsurprisingly, the logistics industry is investing heaving in mobile technology by creating apps for big screens and smartphones.
Logistics drives many businesses worldwide. An entrepreneur needs transportation and logistics to spread its products to different geographical locations.
For example, Uber is the biggest mobile app related to the transportation sector. So logistics also investing in technologies of building mobile apps.
Tapping into these tools helps logistics companies to enhance customer satisfaction, cost reduction, and productivity increases, which means a better chance of grasping new customers & holding on to existing customers in this competitive market.
Key technologies of a Logistics app development
Logistics is managing the transportation of goods from origin to the consumer.
It includes many operations such as warehousing, material handling, supply chain management, and more. To simplify these operations logistic needs some technical support.
To smoothen and simplify the operations, we require the logistics domain along with technical support.
To get a clear view of the topic as mentioned above, let us have a look at some of the essential technologies & features that are mostly required in a logistics application.
Let us look at some of the mobile app development technologies that are required for logistics app
- Optimizing the route along with traffic information
One of the critical elements which should be added in the app is route optimization, this route optimization information is gathered with the help of traffic information, but the essential thing for logistics mainly depends on the time.
If a truck driver doesn’t have anything to get information about traffic occurred in his traveling route, then he will strike in transit, so automatically delay in shipments and business suffer from losses. However, with technical support by knowing traffic information, all of these problems can be avoided.
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- Location tracking
Location tracking is the essential feature using this business owner can track the location of the truck and can predict the arrival time. If that truck met with any problems like accidents, the problem in the engine, or anything, then dispatcher can be informed and will tell them about location, happened scenario, and also this location tracking feature helps them in finding the nearest service center.
Some factors influence tracking the location of the truck; those are GPS satellite, cellular tower, and cloud server. This feature helps to make more regular and accurate communication that avoids the delay in shipment.
- Fleet Management
As we discussed features like location tracking, route, and traffic information tracking, another dominant and essential application development feature is fleet management.
Other than tracking the location and getting traffic information, services involved in products, transportation, the fleet management option also contributes to improving the fleet performance by the use of mobile fleet management tools.
This fleet management can be referred to as effective management to raise awareness about the wear and tear that takes place on vehicles. This problem can be avoided in the process of logistics app development by developing a transport and logistics app by making use of management tools.
- Security Factors
In current days, we find hackers attack targeted organizations that belong from various industries, which also includes logistics companies as well. This has resulted in a situation where logistics software companies need to pay more attention to the security factor regarding logistics and transportation apps developed from the top mobile app development companies.
For this purpose, many innovative technologies on security measures have been implemented to provide the best protection of the private data and personal information of the users.
- Transportation management system
In support of the above points, the users can also avoid these security issues by opting for TMS (Transportation management system).
To build TMS, users have the opportunity of picking a reliable mobile app development company for building a transportation service that concentrates on fields like data encryption.
Benefits of Transport management system
- Cash flow improvements
- Increased customer service
- Increased warehouse efficiency
Knowing the concepts of data encryption will surely help you in understanding more about how you develop and design a transport & logistics software that is secure.
Recommend: How last-mile delivery optimization can boost your logistics & supply chain business.
- Asset tracking & management
Asset tracking and management are essential for emerging startups & logistics companies providing logistics solutions, as they need to manage their inventory (Load carrying units, trucking equipment, and cargo).
If you can track a vehicle, you can also follow a trailer independent of the cab used to pull it. Combining vehicle location with inventory management can help reconcile which item is currently on which vehicle. By doing so, you can detect physical location down to the level of individual packages.
Supply chain visibility is a competitive benefit for any logistics company.
Integrating this feature in your logistics applications will build trust between logistics companies. With the help of this feature, at any time user can check the condition, location, and security of the shipment.
We can manage inventory in several ways:
- Unique QR codes
The unique QR code helps to identify each asset that a user can scan with their smartphone.
To read QR codes, a user needs to open a scanner app and hold it over the QR code and wait till the phone analyzes and reacts to the code — the DHL ActiveTracing app by DHL Freight.
- RFID & NFC tags
RFID – Radio-frequency identification
NFC – Near field communication
The RFID tag will have an antenna and a memory chip that stores data that can be accessed via an RFID reader. There are two types of RFID tags:
- Active
- Passive
Active RFID tags: These tags will have their power sources and can broadcast with a read range of up to 100 meters.
Passive RFID tags: It has a limited range of 25 meters since they do not have their power resources.
RFID is a one-way communication system; it means data can flow from tag to reader.
NFC is a specialized type of RFID technology. NFC can be a one or two-way communication system. NFC tags will have a maximum range of only 10 centimeters (4 inches).
Using the NFC tag, every user can wave their phone near the tag without opening the app. The data on the tags contains commands like open a specific mobile application. In this case, information is transformed instantly.
- Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Beacons
A network technology provides accurate object location data inside buildings with less energy.
You may think of why we should go for beacons when they are expensive than RFID tags. The reason is, the BLE beacons will provide more accurate data about asset location than RFID tags.
Thanks to beacons, you can effortlessly track and locate assets in big warehouses. The distance between beacons can vary reliant on the technical physiognomies of a device and can exceed 150 meters.
Read more on: “Blockchain technology in the travel industry.”
- Drive check-in & check-out
Traditionally, whenever we enter a warehouse, a driver needs to fill up a gate pass manually, which is a document comprising the load particulars.
This measure is essential to protected outbound transactions and ensures a smarter way of managing & keeping track of inventory. Registering all these items can be time-consuming when it comes to a long list of products.
With the help of logistics tracking software/Transport logistics software solutions available in the market, truck drivers can register their loads and get-in & get-out of warehouses much faster compared to traditional methods.
Most of you are aware of amazon delivery. Take Amazon Relay, released back in 2017, as an example. Before dropping off or picking up off at facilities, Amazon drivers enter cargo information in the Amazon Relay app and get a special gate pass, a QR code containing all cargo information, that allows them to enter an amazon warehouse.
This approach mitigates long queues during checkout & check-in & saves a lot of time.
These are more worthy features to be included in logistics app development technologies.
Final words
If you are running a business based on any industry and if you need app development services, Reach FuGenX Technologies, which is the top mobile app development company in Abu Dhabi.
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