Key Research Issues in Supply Chain & Logistics Management: 2030
Key Research Issues in Supply Chain & Logistics Management: 2030
Logistics is the backbone of the economy and development of a country. Improving the logistics sector's efficiency is crucial for the country's
economy because it boosts economic growth, increases exports across global supply chains, and creates employment. Though India's
passenger and freight mobility sectors are improving, and the logistics sector is increasing at a 10.5 percent CAGR and hit USD 215 billion in
2020, the system has a number of interwoven problems that must be tackled in order to improve productivity even further. India's logistics
costs account for about 14% of GDP in terms of value, which is significantly higher than the US (9%), Europe (10%), and Japan (11%). High
logistics costs in India, when compared to other countries with similar environments and levels of development, are a cause for concern, as
they pose challenges to the country's manufacturing growth and overall development.
The high logistics costs in India are attributed to a number of factors, including an unfavorable policy environment, lack of a multimodal
transportation system and thus a heavy reliance on road transport, a weak storage infrastructure, the presence of multiple stakeholders
throughout the entire transport and storage value chain, poor road and port infrastructure, and a lack of technological innovation in
transportation/storage and distributing activities. The country's global competitiveness will eventually suffer as a result of these high logistics
costs. Order processing costs, shipping costs, material handling and storage costs, warehousing costs, inventory carrying costs,
administration costs, and packaging costs are the main components of logistics costs. Logistics cost is rising across various industrial
sectors. Automobile, multimodal transport, air cargo shipping, maritime shipping logistics, inland waterway transport, dry bulk management,
food & agro-business, oil & gas industry, warehouse automation, e-commerce, military logistics, emergency supply chain, and pharmaceutical
supply chain lie among the sectors that are growing rapidly in the national economy.
This report highlights the research issues that need to be pondered over by the Logistics community in the coming 20 years. It focuses on the
different aspects of logistics in India. It investigates supply chain management and logistics opportunities and emerging challenges in various
industries, as well as their economic, environmental, and social implications. It tackles global and industrial problems in order to ensure safer,
smarter, more convenient, and more sustainable logistics. This report also dives deep into possible strategies to promote efficient and
effective logistics.
Multimodal Transport 3 02
Maritime Shipping and Logistics 4
Inland Waterways Transport 5
Contents
Dry Bulk Cargo Management 6
Air Cargo Shipping 7
Military Logistics 8
Food and Agri-supply chain 9
Oil and Gas Industry 10
Emergency Supply Chain Management 11
Healthcare Supply Chain Management 12
Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Management 13
e-commerce 14
Water Footprint 15
Carbon Footprint 16
Autonomous Vehicles 17
Nature Inspired Logistics and Transportation 18
Smart and Sustainable Contract 19
Digital Twin in Logistics 20
Control Tower 21
Warehouse Automation 22
Improving Risk Management 23
Regulatory challenges
There is a lack of modal integration of and detailed mapping of waterways and
Technical challenges industrial clusters and also a lack of integration of hinterland coastal shipping
with international maritime traffic.
Lack of level playing policy (waterways were not on the national horizon for
Inadequate depth: The lack of inadequate depth of waterways for commercial movement of cargo is a planning and connectivity for a long time) among different modes of transport.
major concern. Also, the quality of water flow is becoming poorer progressively. Lack of uniformity in legal and administrative issues as inland waterways move
Inadequate air draft: Multiple bridges with low vertical clearance obstruct the passage of bigger through more than one state.
vessels.
Shortage of IWT vessels: Due to its capital incentive nature India lacks in vessel building
Lack of terminals: It inhibits door-door connectivity to end-users. Political challenges
Lack of navigation infrastructure: Rudimentary infrastructure coupled with non-availability of water
round the year is an impediment for the operation of waterways. Inter-linking of rivers is a major issue, which is yet to materialize.
Shortage of MRO facilities: There is a severe shortage of Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul facilities for
inland water transport vessels.
Poor Skills and low technology adaption: Lake of automation in processes and low multi-operation
skills affects efficient utilization of ports. Financial challenges
Private sector participation in MRO is dismal.
Construction of dams/barrage to increase the depth of navigation faces
challenges of economic viability.
sdnerT latigiD
Boosts warehouse safety by using artificial intelligence to visually perceive any accident
that may occur.
Air Cargo Logistics plays a vital role in the economic development of a nation. Air Cargo Speeds up the delivery process by slashing common operational issues.
represents 35% of global trade by value, but less than 1% of trade by volume (IATA,2019).
Continuously increasing demand from the industries as well as the end-users have Robotics
encapsulated rapid development in the air cargo industry over the last three decades.
Therefore, it is essential to manage this sector efficiently. New technologies boost Detects package defects before shipping occurs by sorting through packages at double the
efficiency and the green image of the air cargo industry. The air cargo industry is constantly speed
evolving and striving for the latest innovations and technology.
Internet of Things
Issues Manages and accelerates productivity within the supply chain for their specific processes.
Objectives
Security
Transport and logistics
Construction and repair
Command, control, and communications
MILITARY LOGISTICS LUCRATIVE REGIONAL MARKETS Company Profiles Medical care
Specialized units
AECOM DynCorp International LLC Preparedness
ANHAM FZCO
Fluor Corporation
Aselsan A.S.
Honeywell International Inc.
Thales SA
KBR, Inc.
08 NITIE Mumbai | Supply Chain Networks & Logistics BAE Systems PLC
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Food and Agri-supply chain
Discussions around the effects of climate change, Green
supply chain management (GrSCM) have been among the
dominant topics of conversation in the first two decades of the
21st century. GrSCM can be defined as the integration of
environmental thinking into supply chain management,
including product design, supplier selection, and material
sourcing, manufacturing processes, product packaging,
delivery of the product to the consumers, and end-of-life
management of the product after its use.
Demand management Strategic and design issues in the pharmaceutical supply chain
Inventory management and distribution requirements
planning
Pipeline and development management Uncertainty in the demands for
Secondary production planning and scheduling.
Process development existing drugs
Primary manufacturing campaign planning and AI
Capacity planning and plant and supply Uncertainty in the pipeline of
inventory management.
chain network design. new drugs
Plant design Network Design
13 NITIE Mumbai | Supply Chain Networks & Logistics Value of retail pharmaceutical market in India in the financial
Sources: India Brand Equity Foundation; HDFC Securities; Various sources (Company websites); Crisil@Statista 2020 year 2017-2020, with forecast up to 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)
Omnichannel Retail Improved Optimization Algorithm
Omnichannel retailing is a fully integrated approach to
Used for improving inventory management, automated vendor
e-commerce
commerce, providing shoppers a unified experience
across all channels or touchpoints. selection, improved selection of stocks, risk management.
Upcoming trends:
Social selling through video content There has been increasing pressure on
Multi-channel attribution e-commerce companies to provide
A greater emphasis on community
Applying customer data offline better and more efficient services. With
Shoppable video 66% of customers choosing e-vendors
Touchless/contactless transactions based on delivery options, 63% say
The emergence of omnichannel 2.0
The big step change in 2021 will be a major shift to selling delivery speed is a vital factor and 77%
on and embracing, third-party marketplaces such as are willing to pay for faster delivery;
Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Fruugo, and Zalando. rapid order fulfillment isn’t just an
Modular and Plug and Play solutions option anymore. The E-retail market is
expected to continue its strong growth
In the face of ever-changing demand, many e-commerce companies
face space crunches or underutilization of equipment. These issues
- it registered a CAGR of over 35% to
can be solved using a highly customizable modular plug-and-play reach Rs. 1.8 trillion in FY20. Over the
technology. This works as a set of Lego blocks hence they can be next five years, the Indian e-retail
easily assembled, disassembled, and configured to the needs of the
warehouse.
industry is projected to exceed ~300-
350 million shoppers, propelling the
Analyzing Time Series Data online Gross Merchandise Value (GMV)
Algorithms that utilize time series data to predict future demand trends to US$ 100-120 billion by 2025. Hence
are essential for e-commerce businesses. there is a dire need to leverage new
In-store experiences online technologies to satisfy customer
Block Chain expectations.
Leveraging augmented and virtual reality technologies to give
With the increase in e-commerce frauds, companies might be customers a better environment while shopping online and
interested in storing data using block chain since once stored it is supplementing their online experience hence boosting the sales.
permanent and incorruptible. Development of efficient blockchain This will help in product comparison and testing while shopping
technology which will take lesser power consumption and be easier to online.
integrate with the whole supply chain.
NITIE Mumbai | Supply Chain Networks & Logistics 14
Water Footprint
Environmental awareness and strategy is often part of what a business regards as its
corporate social responsibility. Worldwide, companies have started to explore the
water footprint of their products. It is calculated by the volume of freshwater used to
produce the product, measured over the various steps of the production chain. Water
use is measured in terms of water volumes consumed (evaporated) or polluted. The
water footprint shows volumes of water use and pollution, but also the locations, which
is relevant because the impact of water use depends on local conditions. A water
footprint generally breaks down into three components: the blue, green, and grey
water footprint.
Light-duty vehicles: the Global Fuel Economy Initiative target new LDVs of a 50% reduction in average fuel
use per kilometer in 2040 compared to 2020.
Heavy-duty vehicles: Medium and HDVs in the United States achieved a reduction in energy intensity of 30–
50% by 2020 by using a range of technology and operational improvements.
Rail, waterborne craft, and aircraft
https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/ipcc_wg3_ar5_chapter8.pdf
Infrastructure and systemic perspectives
Path dependencies of infrastructure and GHG emission impacts
Path dependencies of urban form and mobility
Stages of carbon emission reduction
1. Direct Emissions Reduction - Reduces directly controlled emissions through, for example, Opportunities in Carbon Footprint
energy efficiency and low-carbon energy supply.
2. Indirect Emissions Reduction - Reduces emissions and costs across the supply chain and helps Reduce GHGs by technologies and practices
develop revenue opportunities from low-carbon products. Financing low-carbon transport
3. Offsetting - If appropriate, offsets emissions using high-quality offsets from verified projects Institutional, cultural, and legal barriers and opportunities
that create truly additional emission reduction
Autonomous Vehicles Perception
E-commerce giants like Amazon and courier service providers Autonomous driving requires the car to be aware of its surroundings. As
like FedEx are accelerating research into autonomous vehicles to such, data fusion algorithms are used to extract information from various
automate their last-mile deliveries. As a share of the aggregate cameras, LIDAR sensors, and ultrasonic sensors
expense of shipping, last-mile delivery costs are substantial -
comprising 53% overall. Hence, extensive research into enabling
technologies of this field as well as the closely related field of Prediction
electric vehicles is required.
Leveraging AI algorithms to predict the behaviour of objects and
people around the car in order to make necessary manoeuvres
Battery technology
Driving policy
Potent batteries are essential to make electric vehicles practical. In order to
obtain self-sufficiency in this crucial field, advanced battery technology is Improved reinforcement learning algorithms are required to make
required in India. Research into increasing battery energy density, fast recharge, automated driving decisions after observing the state of the
cell thermal management, and battery safety is crucial surrounding environment
Nature-inspired algorithms
The body pattern of the sharks has applied in making the ocean
carrier because of the most efficient swimmers’ nature.
Transparency
Required for the overall optimization of SCM as well as the efficient use of resources
throughout the supply chain. Transparency is inextricably linked to trust, which is of
These challenges can be addressed by employing a robust combination
paramount importance in this industry.
of blockchain-based smart contracts, logistics planners and condition
monitoring of the assets. Smart contracts can help in the following ways
Traceability
Automatically executes the flow of Digitize bills of lading (contracts)
Required in order to keep track of product movement throughout the supply chain. money based upon signals resulting Connects members of the supply
Governments are increasingly legislating for the adoption of traceability systems to reduce from the flow of goods thereby chain to a decentralized network
food waste, particularly in the area of food logistics. Traceability is also important for reducing processing costs and allows them a direct exchange
consumers to be aware of the origin of the product and producing methods Simplification of complex multi-party of documents
systems delivery Manages ownership of documents
Accountability & Liability Connects banks, lenders, buyers, and on the blockchain to eliminate
suppliers to streamline and automate disputes, forgeries, and
settlement, reduce fraud risk and unnecessary risks. Records the
Providing the buyer with necessary information about the third-party logistics provider's
storage, transportation, insurance, customs, inspection, supervision, packaging, value- costs terms of a trade
added procedures, stock management, order management, and other services
Digital Twin in Logistics Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The digital twin is a virtual representation of a real-time Leverages historical and real-time data paired with machine learning
system. A digital twin replicates the physical and digital state frameworks and predictions about future scenarios or events
of the system with dynamic behavior using real-time sensing
data from the machines and devices. According to the market
research report, the current market value of digital twin is
around 3.1 billion dollars and expected to reach up to 48.2 Application Programming Interface (API)
billion dollars by 2026 with a 58 % compound annual growth
rate. Digital twin in logistics has the potential to manage the
real-time navigation of raw materials and finish products Provides the essential tools to extract, share, and harmonize the data from
through all the supply chain facilities. A digital twin is one of the multiple systems that continue to a single platform
the breakthrough technologies that make a significant
transformation in the logistics industry. A few technologies
applied in digital twin are mentioned here.
Augmented Mixed and Virtual Reality (AM & VR)
Renders the digital twin's spatial model and visualization and provides the
medium for collaboration and interaction
Drone fleets
They can help in a number of warehouse operations such as
transportation of packages in a congested warehouse, scanning
of barcodes and RFID efficiently, reaching hard to get locations in
warehouses, automated inventory counting, checking for
maintenance needs, and identifying hazards through aerial scans.
Development of better mini camera modules to get high-definition
images to better apply AI/ML capabilities and identify various
objects, accurate GPS positioning, swarm technology
End-to-end visibility using Predictive analysis using The science and Cyber Security
War room type framework real-time simulation and technological development
modelling required for its There is an increasing amount of
Having visibility at each point of implementation disruption caused due to cyber-
a supply chain can help in Accurate prediction by building new attacks and data breaches which can
Development of a war room
mitigating risks before they AI/ML techniques which can be cost heavily to a company.
type design which will have all
occur. If some untoward adapted to various supply chains Investment in building IT solutions
the data regarding every
accident, disruption does occur without any bias. Simulation such as antivirus solutions, anti-
transshipment in a visual and
due to clear transparency one software building which can spyware, and firewall technologies.
easy to see form in one place
can easily pinpoint the issue replicate the real-life world in an These systems can include both
causing it and hence can efficient and clear manner and local and cloud-based imaging back
maneuver the logistics back on hence be able to give proper up so that they can reconfigure the
track with much more agility insights on the scenarios whole supply chain system to its
prior state and hence efficiently
23 restore the whole logistic network in
NITIE Mumbai | Supply Chain Networks & Logistics a short time