What will tomorrow's logistics consultant do?

The logistics consultant is constantly reinvention. Indeed, many applications that depend on the logistics sector will no longer exist in a few years' time, given the rapid transformation of the sector in the age of digitalization.

In the ever-changing economic and social context of the supply chain sector, it's important to maintain an up-to-date business model up to date.

In this article, we'll take you through the key determinants of tomorrow's supply chain consultant of tomorrowto help you make the most informed choice when it comes to your ideal consultant.

Logistics for the green supply chain 

Far from being insignificant, we have chosen to mention this evolution of the logistics consulting profession first, because it is the major evolution of recent years: the ecological and environmental transition ! 

Green logistics is at the heart of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and customer satisfaction issues, as Anne-Marie Idrac, President of France Logistique, reminds us. Indeed, France Logistique's 2022 report underlines the need to better optimize network design, i.e. the design of logistics networks and flows. 

As a result, new logistics requirements are emerging, paving the way for new green supply chain management professions. Consider the new requirements given below, often carried out by an expert consultant. 

A green supply chain analyst consultant 

A green supply chain analyst is a useful resource for any company to : 

• help companies to carry out and optimize their Bilan Carbone, in line with current regulations; 
• propose more environmentally-friendly transport, packaging and energy supply solutions; 
• find eco-responsible improvements in services, purchasing and marketing. 

Today, adopting an eco-responsible point of view is essential for any company wishing to play a sustainable role in tomorrow's world. So make sure you call on a consultant who respects your green commitments! 

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Diagram: Greening the supply chain

Source : https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/63678

A consultant specializing in sustainable supply chain optimization 

Once analyzed, it's time tooptimize your company's supply flows through the prism of eco-responsibility. A specialized consultant can help you, for example, to incorporate ISO 26000 standards into your business model. 

Similarly, a thorough understanding of current CSR practices is essential in order to : 

• take environmental requirements into account and adapt business routes and processes accordingly ; 
• propose energy-saving and waste-reduction solutions;
• analyze the carbon impact of your activities and your GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions, at every stage of your value chain. 

Logistics for technological innovation

A consultant specializing in digital supply chains, familiar with new technological tools 

The supply chain sector is constantly evolving and reinventing itself, and is at the heart of economic, political and geopolitical issues. Faced with these challenges, the supply chain 4.0 in the age of digitalization is expanding rapidly, redefining the sector's major trends. 

A consultant specializing in Artificial Intelligence 

You've probably heard about it since ChatGPT was democratized to the general public: Artificial Intelligence is a sector of the future. A real growth driver for your business, Artificial Intelligence (or AI) enables you to analyze and exploit data autonomously. Thanks to Machine Learning, algorithms learn and improve from the amount of data fed into the software. 

In the supply chain, the arrival of AI has turned supply management methods on their head, by automating or informing certain tasks previously performed by humans, for example: 

• autonomous driving of transport vehicles ; 
• intelligent order picking ; 
• warehouse automation and intelligent inventory management; 
• and many other applications!

For example, the world-famous American multinational home delivery company owes much of its success to theautomation of inventory management via AI algorithms. 

A specialist Robotic Process Automation consultant 

Artificial intelligence is booming, and this is undeniably leading to the demise of Robotic Process Automation (RPA). However, RPA technologies remain fully relevant for automating supply chain tasks, especially simple, repetitive ones. For example, RPA can be used to : 

• manage customer messages ; 
• prepare inventory management forms ; 
• completing invoices ; 
• import supply chain data into a cloud storage space. 

Make no mistake: RPA remains a powerful tool for any organization wishing to automate tasks while saving considerable amounts of time! 

Logistics for the last-mile supply chain 

The development of technological tools for supply chain management isn't just about implementing these systems. It's also about last-mile logistics, i.e. the logistics that have a direct impact on your customers. Consider the new requirements outlined below. 

An automotive transportation network optimization consultant 

Increasing business demand and environmental awareness are not always easy to reconcile. In an era of massive CSRit is more important than ever to surround yourself with personnel capable of optimizing your transport resources. 

Your transport consultant will help you to : 

• reconcile company vehicle schedules and anticipate peak demand; 
• anticipate your demand to adapt the volume of your vehicle fleet; 
• offer solutions tailored to your company's freight needs. 

For example, if you want to replace your fleet of vehicles with electric or hybrid cars, install vehicle charging stations, or simply better adapt your transport offer to your activities, a consultant will be useful to you! 

A logistics consultant for intelligent delivery services 

Recruiting an expert delivery consultant can be crucial to the successful deployment of your business model ! With online sales on the rise, you need to pay close attention to your intelligent appointment scheduling systems, your after-sales service and your sales strategy. 

An intelligent delivery service enables you to ensure that goods reach your customers safely.Artificial Intelligence can be a valuable asset in modeling your service, autonomously learning about traffic, weather, congestion, roadworks and more. 

A specialist delivery consultant will enable you to offer your customers better transport quality, while accelerating your processes and performance. The implementation of AI algorithms will enable you to continuously improve your algorithms and minimize malfunctions. 

Adopt a recruitment strategy that takes tomorrow's logistics challenges into account 

As you can see, these developments in the logistics sector are essential to take into account in the recruitment process of your ideal logistics consultant. 

Here are the main qualities to look for in a promising logistics consultant: 

• First and foremost, a good logistics consultant is one who is keen to respect the environmental commitments made by states at COP21, the UN-chaired inter-state conference on combating climate change on a global scale. 
• Next, make sure that your logistics consultant is aware of the technical and technological developments that are shaping today's consulting profession. Often, the more specialized a logistics consultant is, the more expert they are in their field, and therefore the more they can help you with specialized tasks. 
• Finally, make sure that all stages of the customer journey are taken into account in your consultant's overall logistics strategy. Pay particular attention to last-mile logistics, which are crucial to ensuring good customer returns and a good brand image! 

Conclusion 

The profession of logistics consultant is constantly evolving, and we need to arm ourselves now with the best tools to recruit the best logistics consultant who is aware of tomorrow's challenges.

Three major developments need to be taken into account: the ecological and environmental transitionrestructuring of the sector in the age of digitalization digitalizationand the need to take into account the entire customer journey, particularly last-mile logistics.

By following these tips, you have the keys to recruit the consultant who can advise you on tomorrow's challenges in the logistics sector. Get in touch with us today to find out more and to benefit from our personalized support.