Leapfrogging Yields Positive Results

The transportation industry needs to embrace technology to offer a more efficient service. To this end, those in the industry are leapfrogging in order to bring advanced solutions to their operations more quickly.Renko Bergh is co-founder of CtrlFleet, a leading provider of next-generation transport management software for the line haul transporter market. He says transporters are no longer so sceptical of automation and are more willing to incorporate it into their services.Transporters have traditionally been late adopters of technology, but theyve been able to create respectful growth even without adopting future-proof technology, says Bergh. However, we are witnessing a significant shift towards the uptake of technology, spurred by client demand and economic pressures. Many transporters bypass basic, non-integrated applications in favour of unified platform solutions. These platforms consolidate tracking, operational inputs, and customer and supplier data into a single point. Instead of gradually phasing out Excel-based operations, they are leaping straight to comprehensive applications that integrate tracking and operational data with end-customer integrations.Similarly, operators considering driver application technology skip standalone, non-integrated solutions and opt for single-platform solutions. This is where the driver application is inherently part of the package, requiring no additional integrations and layers of data validation.Bergh says the transporters who are leapfrogging the use of basic applications and going straight to automated solutions are driven by push and pull factors. Push factors include client demand and market pressure, he explains. Factors pulling the adoption of more advanced solutions include the changing landscape of decision-makers at transport operations. An application-conscious generation of decision-makers has a natural affinity with technology; its a generation that is pulling teams and their skill levels to adopt technology.Bergh says a valuable opportunity lies within the leapfrogging approach to technology implementation. It stems from learning from past iterations of solutions that were once relevant but are now outdated. It involves gleaning lessons in change management, realigning cost expectations with technology investment, and ensuring the continuous utilisation of technolog y.We are currently experiencing the most exciting era for freight operators to digitise their operations and make a substantial impact, says Bergh. Until a year or two ago, the available technology for transporters failed to significantly impact the bottom line as it merely duplicated manual processes with basic capturing tools. However, todays next-generation solutions can revolutionise how operations approach daily tasks, envision future growth, and address the skill sets necessary for their business.Bergh says CtrlFleet has identified a common need from its clients for workf low automation based on data trigger points. For instance, merely having an app for drivers to capture data is not enough. Neither is merely having an input-driven scheduling platform without any automation, for example. What truly matters is how we utilise that data to initiate, escalate, and consistently inform the relevant stakeholders. When a driver reports an incident through the mobile app or f lags a specific fault during a journey inspection, it is crucial to establish a workf low that immediately notifies the designated user(s). Furthermore, if necessary, these prompts should be escalated to the relevant stakeholders for timely action.