Customer demands for greater visibility are increasing logistics and transport sector technology adoption, according to new industry data.
Transport and logistics companies in New Zealand and Australia are increasingly adopting a digital mindset and plan to maintain or increase their technology investments in the next 12 months, according to a new report by Origin, the supply chain division of Sandfield, an Australasian software developer.
The Origin Logistics Technology Outlook Report 2025 identifies five trends shaping supply chains across Australia and New Zealand, reflecting the perspectives and visibility of more than 85 companies representing 3PLs, freight forwarders, warehousing operators and transport carriers, from small independents to enterprise-scale providers.
The majority of respondents (80 percent) consider technology as important or critical to gaining a competitive edge. Even more (94 percent) plan to spend the same or more on technology, seeking to reduce costs and provide customers with greater visibility over their supply chain.
Yet despite the bullish spending plans, only 28 percent of companies say they’re satisfied with their pace of technology change with over half of respondents being ‘stuck in neutral’. This is matched by an ambivalence about measuring the impact of past investments, with only half of respondents doing this.
“There is a clear divide in the way companies approach technology”, said Chris Spence, Chief Growth Officer at Sandfield.
“On one side are the companies gaining an edge with flexible, integrated systems that amplify their unique service offering. The others are standing still, hampered by legacy or generic systems, poor integration, and a lack of measurable ROI.”
The Origin report found that much of the anticipated spending will be on Transport Management Systems (TMS), Customer Portals, Analytics, and Integration.
“Successful operators use technology to compete by reducing costs and improving margins, and providing customers with real-time information about pricing, deliveries, and emissions, something which will be in more demand as geo-political tensions create uncertainty in supply chains,” said Spence.
“However, these benefits will only be realised across the industry if there is a concerted effort to improve data accuracy and integration, which is essential to unlock AI-led gains in efficiency and customer experience.”
The Origin Report also compares the attitudes of logistics and transport operators in Australia and New Zealand. Industry participants in both countries face common barriers, legacy IT systems, budget constraints, and integration issues, but Australian firms lead in both their satisfaction with the technology change and planned technology investment.
Australian logistics firms are more satisfied than those in New Zealand with their technology progress (32 percent vs. 24 percent). All Australian companies surveyed report being committed to maintaining or raising their tech budgets, whereas New Zealand companies are more reserved.
More news here.
