Drone Technology and Its Role in Logistics

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Drone Technology
Logistics
Efficient Delivery of Goods
Improved Inventory Management
Transportation
Urgent Services
Conclusion
Reference

Introduction

The evolution of technology has seen its application grow in various industries across the world. Being one of the recent inventions, drone technology has gained significant applications in various industries. Logistics is one of the industries that have obtained immense benefits from the use of drone technology. As logistics entails products from producers to consumers, drone technology has improved its operations and activities. Outbound and inbound logistics of major companies, such as Amazon, DHL, and United Parcel Service, utilize drone technology (Aurambout et al., 2019). The major advantages of drone technology in the logistics industry are reduced transport costs, boost consumer satisfaction, fast deliveries, reduced carbon emissions, and expanded networks into remote areas. Currently, the logistics industry is profitable and attractive to many companies globally due to the use of drone technology in improving service delivery to customers. A combination of drones and logistics has revolutionized the way people transport products across the world. This research paper aims to describe drone technology and explain its roles in the logistics industry.

Drone Technology

Drone technology entails the application of unmanned aerial vehicles in performing numerous tasks ranging from the delivery of products to consumers to security surveillance. Drone technology comprises a wide assortment of technologies that enable the unmanned aerial vehicle to perform its functions. Components of drones employ diverse technologies for them to perform diverse functions. Propeller is one of the key components of drones that allow them to fly by creating a thrust force (Aurambout et al., 2019). Connected to propellers are powerful motors that drive and cause drones to fly. A remote controller is another technology incorporated in a drone to enable users to control its navigation using radio transmissions. A drone has been fitted with sensors in the control board to detect speed, direction, and orientation during flight to ensure accurate control. In each of the numerous rotors, drones have electronic speed controllers involved in regulating speed and ensuring stability. For accurate navigation, drones use the global positioning system (GPS) in sensing preplanned locations, directions, and speed during flight. With enduring battery, drones can fly for hundreds of kilometers to and from their destinations.

Drone technology has now become a conventional unmanned aerial vehicle worldwide. Originally, drone technology emerged as a military equipment for defense purposes, but its applications have grown and had now moved across the commercial sector and gained popularity in all major industries. Designed to operate without a human pilot and controlled autonomously through a preprogrammed flight plan or using a remote control, drones have become versatile tools. These machines are guided by GPS technology and different sensors embedded in their core system to allow them to reach their intended destination (Aurambout et al., 2019). These drones’ unique features and capabilities have spurred massive interest by logistics firms to incorporate their technology in routine operations.

Logistics

Logistics requires the use of drone technology since it entails a commercial activity that involves the transportation of goods from one point to another, especially in last-mile operations. Inbound and outbound logistics rely on drone technology’s capability and versatility in the delivery of parcels and shipments. Logistics is among the biggest and fastest-growing industries globally due to the growth of globalization, improved means of communication, elaborate transportation networks, and rapid access to information (Aurambout et al., 2019). An increasing number of people and companies seek logistical services at a very large scale between and within countries. Thus, drone technology is an innovation that improves operational activities, enhances customer satisfaction, and creates a competitive advantage.

In the modern world, drone technology is commercially viable because it meets consumer expectations in the logistics sector. In fact, companies such as Amazon, United Parcel Service, and DHL have already experimented with drones’ practical application to test their viability (Aurambout et al., 2019). Despite drone technology being in its infancy stage in logistics, increasing demand for its services is growing rapidly with significant benefits to customers and companies (Aurambout et al., 2019). The analysis of last-mile operations in the logistics industry shows that drone technology plays a huge role in the efficient delivery of goods, improved inventory management, reduced costs, and improved security and safety measures.

Efficient Delivery of Goods

Drones play a significant role in last-mile logistics that entails parcel delivery to customers in their remote locations. In 2013, Amazon took a huge step in drone technology by announcing that they would introduce drones in the last mile logistics. However, drones’ application did not happen until 2016 that the company delivered its first package in Cambridge, England. Other companies that have also experimented with drones for delivery include DHL, Google, and United Parcel Service. In 2014, DHL presented its first commercial drone in German, which delivered parcels to the island of Juist. Consequently, in July 2015, Flirtey, a drone delivery company, successfully delivered bottled water, first aid kit, and food in the United States (Aurambout et al., 2019). These examples clearly show that many companies have identified the role that drones play in delivering goods and logistics.

Drones offer numerous benefits to the consumers and companies operating in the logistics industry. Drones can deliver packages faster than the current conventional methods (Aurambout et al., 2019). The major advantage of drones is that they are not limited by road infrastructure, traffic jams, or congestion. In addition, they can use shorter routes and travel through rough and difficult terrain that is not easily accessible by a truck or car. Drones can also fly over large bodies of water and traverse rural regions that are otherwise inaccessible (Aurambout et al., 2019). Considering these unique advantages, the use of drones reduces logistics expenses such as fuel, truck, and fleet maintenance costs, insurance, and pollution. Consequently, these benefits could see an overall reduction in shipping costs that would also trickle down to consumers. Another notable implication would be speedy deliveries of packages without the hassle of truck distribution from warehouse centers. This advantage is a boost to e-commerce because customers would be able to order and get their goods within minutes from the click of the button (Chitaa & Jain, 2017). Therefore, drones provide efficient delivery service in the last mile logistics, which reduce costs, enhance service delivery, and satisfy consumer needs.

Improved Inventory Management

Warehouse operation is a challenging task in logistics because it requires efficient workforce services. Proper inventory management is the key to a successful transfer of products from one location to another (Aurambout et al., 2019). Warehouse operations have the potential of becoming easier with the use of drones. In a warehouse scenario, drones can audit inventory, count stock, and search for different items quicker and more efficiently. Products integrated with radio transmitters allow drones to locate them in warehouses and track them during delivery. Auditing stock in a warehouse, a process that occurs daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly, involves the physical counting of stock held in the warehouse don by an inventory control team. As a slow and tasking process, auditing is usually prone to human error. In addition, physical stocktaking exposes the personnel to different levels of hazards and injuries. In this regard, drones can perform inventory tasks in a timely and accurate manner (Aurambout et al., 2019). The use of drones increases the level of accuracy during stocktaking and audit, reduces the cost associated with maintaining a designated audit team, as well as decreases the physical risk posed to the personnel.

In the tedious, complex, and risky process of moving products, drone technology offers an effective solution. Drones can handle logistics within the warehouse of moving, sorting, and organizing products according to specific arrangement patterns. For example, they can carry goods from one storage unit to the loading bay or any other place. Consequently, drones can carry out inspection and surveillance in warehouses. By scanning for faults in roofs, walls, ceilings, and racks, drones can establish warehouses’ integrity, products, and quality of air. Drones can also undertake security checks by checking unauthorized entry or activity within the warehouse (Aurambout et al., 2019). Currently, physical inspection is tedious and requires a set of trained personnel who often disrupt the warehouse’s activities. Conventional surveillance is a difficult and expensive process but highly necessary to ensure safety and security. In contrast, drones perform perfect work since they do not only survey but also capture and records all activities for reference. Other advantages of drones are that they can access high altitudes and cover a wider area within a limited time (Aurambout et al., 2019). Drones are effective because they can inspect covertly and cause limited disruption of routine operations.

Logistics companies progressively adopt and use drones in undertaking warehousing operations. Warehouse managers are aware of the importance of drone technology in providing efficient and timely warehouse processes. Drones quicken the process of counting, sorting, loading, unloading, and packing products in warehouses when it takes a great deal of time to handle inbound shipments, other inventory processes such as inventory recording and delivery experience significant delay. When drone delivery and automated tools are utilized, the overall warehouse management can transform from a same-day process to a same-hour delivery.

Transportation

Drone technology is looking to change the conventional means of doing business. In transport, traditional standards and norms have been the way of doing things for decades on end. However, drones’ use seeks to transform the mode of transportation by reducing costs and hastening its operations. Drones have the potential of changing the way logistics companies move shipments across oceans. Drones can improve ocean freight through improved inventory, inspection and, loading and unloading (Aurambout et al., 2019). Drones can load and unload huge cargo ships, making the process cheaper and quicker owing to reduced operations. In addition, drones can inspect and take inventory of incoming ships, a task normally handled by a huge workforce. In rail transport, drones can also check on inventory before the locomotive arrives at the station and unload goods from trains to the warehouses. As drones perform these logistics operations efficiently, it enables logistics companies to provide better services.

Drones offer lower costs of transport as compared to trucks and conventional transport means. A huge fleet of trucks requires maintenance, fuel, and workforce to run them. The use of drones eliminates these transport operations, thereby reducing the overall operating cost. Evidently, as drones operate autonomously, they are inexpensive to service, maintain, and operate in the logistics industry. Unlike human labor that gets weary, drones can operate on a full-time basis, making a company not need to worry about shifts and working hours. Another important element is that drones release minimal pollutants into the environment. These machines do not use fuel or emit gases; thus are friendly to the environment. Companies are aware of greenhouse emissions and their responsibility to reduce these polluting emissions (Aurambout et al., 2019). Consequently, consumers are also very vigilant on companies that do not care about the environment. In many cases, consumers have boycotted the use of some products due to irresponsible company policies, causing huge losses to companies or tarnishing their names. Therefore, a technology that can help establish a certain level of social responsibility is good for business.

Urgent Services

Drones offer great advantages in the logistics industry, creating a competitive edge among companies that adopt this new technology. To begin with, drones reduce the time of delivering products in last-mile logistics operations. This specific advantage is key, especially in the emerging industry of e-commerce, where consumers require products quickly in their homes. As increasing numbers of people adopt and use e-commerce and online shopping to purchase products, there is a great need from the consumer and retailer to ensure timely delivery of goods, improving customer experience. A reduced transportation cost is another major advantage of this technology because drones take a short travel time with reduced costs compared to motor vehicles and trucks (Aurambout et al., 2019). Drones can transport an item directly to a consumer regardless of the traffic conditions. In addition, drones do not fail or experience a delay when urgency is key. In emergency cases, drones can transport first aid kits, medicine, or food to remote areas. For example, in a rescue operation in tough terrain, a drone can transport resources to the emergency personnel with ease (Aurambout et al., 2019). The military employs drones to deliver arms, food, and medications to soldiers in remote areas where conventional modes of transport cannot access.

Conclusion

Advancement in technology is now allowing drones to be used for commercial purposes as opposed to being limited to military bases and functions. It is now evident that logistics firms have warmed up to the use of drones in their business operations. The use of drone technology in delivery, warehouse management, and surveillance is beneficial to logistics companies to improve the customer experience, create a competitive advantage, speedy deliveries, better warehouse management, and reduce costs. Many companies are now utilizing the technology and finding more ways of improving their business processes through this innovation. Despite its advantages and roles in logistics, companies are yet to embrace and use drone technology exclusively in operations. Legal and infrastructural constraints are some of the major factors that hinder the adoption and use of drone technology in various sectors within the logistics industry. Nonetheless, drones’ adoption has already taken off, and it is an integral part of the future.

Reference

Aurambout, J. P., Gkoumas, K., & Ciuffo, B. (2019). Last-mile delivery by drones: An estimation of viable market potential and access to citizens across European cities. European Transport Research Review, 11(30), 1-21.

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