Discover What Innovations Changed How Companies Do Business
Like any industry, the world of global logistics and trade has changed and evolved over decades thanks to ever-developing technology and discoveries. Many times, there are notable items that are introduced that can change the way an industry operates. Oftentimes, they are considered noteworthy because they can boost business efficiency, security, or simply make a job easier for the client, customer, or both! In the list below, Promptus highlights a few that have been regarded as some of the more notable tools to be introduced to global trade and logistics.
Containerization
This is arguably the most revolutionary of changes to happen in terms of shipping and transporting goods. Containerization introduced a system of intermodal freight transport that allowed shippers to quickly and effectively load and unload shipments at ports. The concept was introduced in the 50s, and was such a simple yet powerful suggestion, that it completely changed the way intermodal shipping is handled. Prior to its introduction, transporting goods from one shipping vessel to another, unloading and loading barrels, bags, crates, and any number of varied boxes or containers from a truck or ship at a port could take up to two weeks. These days, a ship can dock at a port, load all its containers, complete all the necessary steps, and continue on its journey in 10 hours.
The notion of consolidating goods within containers that could be shuffled around, moved, and easily stacked and situated amongst each other cut loading times dramatically. Additionally, this meant that moving cargo that first started its shipping journey on a truck but will need to continue using a different form of transport, such as ocean shipping, could be handled much more efficiently. Naturally, this changed the tone for trade as the decrease in travel time increased the possibility of shipping perishable items that may have otherwise been questionable or difficult to transport. For example, the fresh food industry would not be able to function the same without the innovative tool that is containerization.
Fiber Optic Cables
This is another huge innovative discovery that opened the doors to new possibilities in trade and logistics. Born-global firms, or companies that are birthed with the intention of global sale and output, rely heavily on the ability to communicate with the other countries they are trying to operate with. The fiber optic cable is made with the intention of network communications over long distances. Their primary function is to provide quick and easily accessible communication options, which makes global trade much more functional. Before this was introduced, shippers, ports, clients, and other parties were left to communicate in ways that took much longer than was practical for making time-sensitive decisions. Working with a fiber optic cable provides companies with the ability to send information almost instantly from the United States all the way to China – and much more!
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The just-in-time inventory strategy was designed to help avoid the waste of product, time, and essentially money that was associated with overproduction and excess inventory. JIT is a manufacturing process that, when implemented in warehouses, completely reconfigures the way inventory. The goal was to minimize wastefulness while maximizing efficiency by allowing the user to track where materials are within the production circuit. This lowers the possibility of companies losing items within the supply chain as well as creating too many products because of an inability to accurately account for all the goods in-house. This process, originally created by Toyota, and was used as a method to help producers forecast demand and therefore respond accordingly based on accurate and reliable data gathered via the JIT strategy.
Trust the Experts
The world of shipping and logistics is constantly evolving thanks to innovative new discoveries and inventions being made by engineers and shipping experts everywhere. A great way to ensure that your business stays on top is to utilize tools that can help boost your efficiency without increasing spending or costs.
Even if you don’t understand the shipping world, you should be able to reap the benefits when you partner with a reliable freight forwarding company like Promptus LLC. We are based in Miramar, FL, but we offer our services to clients worldwide. We work with all sorts of clients and our involvement can range from customs brokerage to simple warehousing & distribution. Contact us today to get your personalized quote!
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