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4 best now
$mart
money
is on smart
technology
But it takes far more than
gadgetry to deliver results
in the profit column. That’s
where best comes in.
Volvo is an industry leader in smart technology for all types of trucks.
“Nobody give me trouble ‘cause
they know I got it made. I’m bad,
I’m nationwide.”
— ZZ Top
Jimmy carter occupied
the Oval Office,
the Pittsburgh
Pirates were world
champs and global
trade largely was
the province of international
conglomerates when
ZZ Top released its hit single “I’m
bad, I’m Nationwide” in 1979.
That year also marked the passage
of the Trade Agreements Act,
its objectives including, among
other things: fostering the growth
and maintenance of an open
world trading system.
Four decades later, players of
all types and sizes compete in the
global market, so much so across
many industries that the ability to
operate worldwide — never mind
nationwide — is a prerequisite. In
those instances, those who can’t
go global can’t go at all. The world
has grown smaller.
Technology has made it all possible,
opening avenues that only
could have been imagined when
a peanut farmer from Georgia
roamed the White House halls.
Supermax ships, containers and
cargo aircraft all have become
ubiquitous. But more importantly,
the internet has taken over
— the web is worldwide — and
an e-commerce marketplace has
emerged.
That has swept in the burgeoning
era of the Internet of Things
and artificial intelligence, which,
in turn, will bring about a future
in which autonomous rigs rumble
down the highways.
Leaders in freight are scrambling
to modernize and take advantage
of technology’s potential
to improve efficiency, cut cost and
enhance quality.
But challenges have multiplied
with the opportunity.
In the disco-crazed days of ‘79,
global dealings took place in the
long shadows of the Cold War between
the United States and Soviet
Union. Today, tensions are
running high everywhere, not the
least of which between three per-
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By the numbers
The American Association
of Importers and Exporters
last year surveyed companies
to learn how they are using
technology to address global
trade woes. Some of the findings:
Risk fears
What are the top risks facing
supply chain managers?
34%
Regulatory
42%
Supplier and transportation
Top objectives
What are your business
goals?
Reduce costs 57%
Increase customer
satisfaction 46%
ID auto. technology 30%
Build relationships 14%
june 2019 5