Only a third of European companies have embarked on digital transformations of logistics so far, according to a YouGov survey sponsored by Handelsblatt Research Institute and TeamViewer.
Jan Junker, executive vice president of solution delivery at TeamViewer, suggested this indicates potential for digitised logistics.
“The study shows that the majority of corporate decision-makers have already thought about how to make their logistics fit for the digital future. On the other hand, there is plenty of room for improvement when it comes to implementation,” Junker said.
Among TeamViewer’s customers, the “intelligent interaction” offered by technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and the Internet of Things (IoT) holds “enormous potential” for making logistics operations and systems more efficient, Junker said.
Of 1,700 corporate decision-makers in 10 countries in Europe, only 33% of respondents had begun implementing a digitised logistics strategy, according to TeamViewer.
“A large proportion expect cloud services (71%), the IoT (63%) and Big Data (58%) to play a greater role in logistics in the future,” the company said.
Eighty-three percent of respondents associated digital transformation with increased efficiency; 82% with better quality, higher service levels, or cost reductions; 80% with greater flexibility and security of supply.
Around three quarters of respondents, all from companies with important logistics processes or internal material flows, also expected higher employee satisfaction and greater environmental sustainability as a result of “smarter” logistics.
Respondents also however cited key obstacles to achieving these benefits — including cost, resources, legacy IT and cybersecurity concerns, the company said.
TeamViewer is a Germany-based developer and supplier of connectivity platforms for remote access, control, management, monitoring and repair of devices from laptops and mobile phones to industrial machines and robots.
Solutions include secure SaaS-based enterprise remote connectivity application TeamViewer Tensor, which aims to enable customers and employees to connect seamlessly and securely across hybrid enterprise environments with multiple devices and platforms.
