Route Optimisation: Human vs AI

The digital transformation of the transport sector and route optimisation shows no sign of slowing down. Software has changed the logistics landscape, from lot tracking to PODs, the power of the computer chip can be felt everywhere.

Automation offers the promise of efficiency at scale. A streamlined workforce armed with the latest technology has the potential to increase productivity across many aspects of warehousing and distribution. One area that has benefited from innovation is route optimisation. Route planning programs create the most efficient routes based on data such as delivery addresses, fleet details, timings and load capacity.

Optimisation software boosts supply chain efficiency

Route planning software can save businesses a lot of time, as Invo Fulfilment’s Supply Chain Co-ordinator Richard Bainbridge explains. “It used to take us four hours a day to plan routes manually, and collections and deliveries were managed completely separately. The software provides a great start point and it groups the runs very well.”

However, Bainbridge highlights the importance of human experience when it comes to programming the system. “It’s all to do with how you configure your set-up, so it’s important to make sure it’s set up accurately and fairly for timings. It does it generally on averages and you can get better data over time and if it’s not providing long enough to unload then we can adjust that. There’s so much data going into it from our side that it needs to be right to utilise it to the maximum. I do like an element of control and we will change our inputs over time depending on how much automation we require and need.”

Technology provides live visibility

One of the big benefits of integrating route optimisation software with GPS technology is that vehicles can be tracked in real time. Knowledge is power, and knowing the location of every load gives teams the power to act at speed. This means that drivers can be diverted if a route is blocked, customers can be kept updated on etas and office staff have instant visibility of their whole fleet.

Integrated I.T systems offer oversight at speed and in detail, which was not possible before the digital era, as Bainbridge explains: “It gives us really good visibility. It means we can see everything we need to straight away. The sales guys know where the goods are immediately, rather than having to do it manually or by e-mail like we used to do back in the day.”

Dashboards allow teams to compare historic data, so they can track patterns. This is useful for resource planning and targeting any weaknesses in the supply chain. “Dashboards give us our history, it’s good for the tracking and visibility side. It is a 2-way data stream, so that information comes in and out of the system, allowing us to plan responsively,” he adds.

The benefits of a hybrid system

A hybrid system, that empowers the planning staff to work in sync with technology is an approach which works well for Bainbridge and the Invo Fulfilment team. “For us at the minute I can plan functionally and efficiently with a bit of a hybrid, which is automation and manual intervention. The automation side can be flawed. How it processes the data, reads it and plans with it can require a little bit of common sense – it can over-commit with parameters, so we must always check things over.”

And when it comes to employee engagement, the human touch can make all the difference. “It can’t factor in driver preferences – yes you can be as efficient and automated as possible to improve the way of working, but we will always have human oversight. The software can work out the timings, and then I can identify the best person to do that job, whether it be the personal side of it – who wants to be home every night vs who wants to be out all week, and other things which aren’t factored into the automation.”

The future of AI route optimisation software

When it comes to the future of route optimisation it’s a question of how, not if AI will be used. The big differentiator will come down to how quickly businesses adapt and upskill their workforce so that they can adapt and maximise the potential of the technology. Combining real-world logistics experience with the processing power of AI means that distribution businesses can operate faster, leaner and with a higher degree of accuracy and visibility than ever before.

eBook on Asset Protection and Warehouse Safety

Logistics Business magazine, in association with Sentry Protection Products, have produced a new digital issue / eBook about asset protection and warehouse safety. In this 6-page special, Editor Peter MacLeod interviews Sentry’s CEO and Founder Jim Ryan and details the company’s products and applications, including the Collision Sentry Multi-Zone warning system.

Read the eBook here now

Innovative safety solutions are transforming warehouses. Discover how collision warning systems and modular protectors enhance safety and efficiency, including the Column Sentry FIT System and Collision Sentry Multi-Zone for high-traffic areas.

In recent years, we’ve taken great interest in the products brought to market by Sentry, who are experts at identifying areas of danger and coming up with seemingly simple solutions to reduce or eliminate warehouse accidents. But after many conversations with James Ryan only now do I fully comprehend the design and manufacture challenges that lie behind ‘simple’ solutions such as its Column Sentry rack protectors, and the lead time it takes to conceive, test, trial and manufacture, and then bring to market such a solution. Not to mention the various international standards to which it has to conform.

Given enough time, anyone could come up with a complicated solution to solve a problem. But real genius lies in the ability to develop a solution that is both brilliantly effective and brilliantly simple, the “why didn’t I think of that” type of product.

A year ago, Ryan showed me a prototype of the Collision Sentry Multi-Zone product, a development of an existing collision warning device that operates around internal and external warehouse doors. This is now fully introduced to the market, and Sentry will be promoting this at the forthcoming LogiMAT trade show from its booth in Hall 1. “It’s starting to solve some problems in high-traffic areas that we just could not in the past,” says Ryan. “We never expected it to be the high volume product that we see with our corner products, but it’s really nice to create a warning system for those other difficult areas where people can have accidents.”

Asset Protection and Warehouse Safety

Sentry Protection Products is a leading provider of innovative, impact resistant products for industrial applications. Manufactured in the United States and Europe and sold worldwide, the award winning, patented product line includes Column Sentry®, Rack Sentry®, Concrete Wrap™, Park Sentry®, Corner Sentry™ and Collision Sentry®. Sentry is headquartered in Lakewood, Ohio, USA.

Read a previous eBook here:

eBook on Warehouse Impact Protection

New Battery Energy Storage System, Next Gen Charger

EnerSys, a global supplier of stored energy solutions for industrial applications, will preview their new NexSys™ BESS energy storage system and Synova™ Sync charger concepts at upcoming LogiMAT and ProMat trade shows. These advanced technologies will help operations better manage energy supply and costs – enhancing operational resilience amidst the global energy transition.

These new innovations enable organizations to more efficiently store and utilize energy from time- and condition-dependent renewable sources such as wind and solar. The NexSys™ BESS energy storage system also enables operations to better manage energy costs via ‘peak shaving’ from the traditional electric grid – storing energy during periods with lower utility rates for use during periods with higher rates.

The advanced Synova™ Sync charger delivers exceptional efficiency and charging performance, featuring two-way data and energy flow capabilities that allow operations to pull energy from equipment back into centralized storage if needed. Both the NexSys™ BESS energy storage system and Synova™ Sync charger also provide cloud-based data reporting for enhanced energy and operational management.

“These new products enhance our customers’ management of energy, especially those facing possible shortages and high peak hour rates. Whether drawing from the electrical grid or renewables like solar and wind, our new energy storage solutions enable customers to control their energy supply and costs more directly, which is becoming increasingly important in our marketplace,” said Kerry Philips, Vice President of Global Product Management for Motive Power at EnerSys.

These advanced, next-generation products enable businesses to minimize utility costs while helping stabilize energy for their operations to make them more resilient. When combined, the NexSys™ BESS energy storage system and Synova™ Sync charger form a reliable foundation for on-site microgrids – efficiently storing, managing, and utilizing energy from the traditional grid and various on-site generation sources.

“As the world transitions to a new energy paradigm, these innovations greatly expand the operational benefits of our current product portfolio – enabling customers to better control energy costs and leverage their investment for on-site generation projects,” stated Christina Warn, Global Director of Marketing for Motive Power at EnerSys. “When combined with our fleet data modeling capabilities and unparalleled portfolio of battery technologies, these new offerings help customers truly optimize and manage energy across their entire operation.”

The new NexSys™ BESS energy storage system and next generation Synova™ Sync charger, along with the Company’s portfolio of turnkey power solutions, will be showcased to visitors at the EnerSys trade show stands at LogiMat (Stand 10B09) in Stuttgart, Germany, from March 11–13, 2025, and the following week at ProMat (Booth S612) in Chicago, Illinois, USA, from March 17–20, 2025.

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