Hemanth Chandra, CEO, Pickkup, an
enterprise-focused last mile delivery startup
Backed by a technology-driven transformation, the logistics sector has
in recent years emerged as a leading contributor to the economy as well as a
major employment generator. The logistics sector in India is estimated to be a
USD 200 billion industry with a contribution of over 14% to India’s GDP. The
post COVID economic transition has further boosted the growth of the sector
while accelerating a digital transformation across the logistics chain – from
warehousing to supply chain management right to the last mile delivery. As per an assessment by the National Skill
Development Corporation (NSDC) last year, logistics was among the five top
employment generating sectors in the post COVID economy in India (the others
being tourism and hospitality, construction, information technology and telecom).
Interestingly, the pandemic and its aftermath have served to
transform the logistics sector from a supporting service sector into an
essential one. With the growth of e commerce penetrating down to smaller towns
and a large number of businesses shifting to online selling, the demand for
efficient logistics services has surged over the past year. This has also given
a major push for value addition, automation, resource optimisation,
digitization and adoption of best practices for the logistics space.
Surge in high skilled specialized jobs
While the need for optimising logistics
costs and resources was always high, the post COVID environment has made it
indispensable for logistics service providers to improve the predictability of
the supply chain and make the entire logistics process transparent and
trackable. The need for establishing automated warehouses, ushering in system
upgradation in the entire supply chain and instituting enhanced navigation
facilities is driving the next phase of growth of the logistics sector. The
need to digitise and automate processes has generated a growing demand for
professionals with specialized skills such as digital adoption, data analysis,
AI know how and automation, to name a few.
In the post COVID world, delivery
providers have in many places toyed with the idea of robotic or drone
deliveries of food and medicines. In the American city of Houston, Domino’s
Pizza is starting a robotic pizza delivery system to meet the rising demand for
online orders for pizza. In an Ireland town, a startup has announced the use of
drones to deliver mobile phones and tablets to residents. At the same time, as
demand for same day or next day deliveries rises, the last mile delivery
apparatus is being upgraded with tech-enabled solutions to optimise resources,
predict order volumes and ensure route optimisation.
Clearly, the logistics industry is no
more a ‘low-skilled’ industry and is actively seeking highly skilled human resource to herald the rapid
deployment of digital technology, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.
According to an estimate, the logistics sector employed about 21.24 million
people back in 2016 and this number was expected to go beyond 30 million by
2022. From rising demand for courier delivery agents to warehouse managers,
data analysts and people with specialised skills such as project mapping and
process conversion, the sector is opening a range of work opportunities for
both skilled and unskilled professionals.
Surging job
opportunities in the logistics space
Here are a few career opportunities that will
find increasing resonance in the logistics space in the coming years:
AI Professionals
The use of ArtificiaI Intelligence backed
tools is enabling the logistics sector save time and costs by automating a
series of manual tasks while helping optimise resources across the supply
chain. AI Professionals are therefore in high demand to herald new algorithmic
solutions, automated systems and predictive models for guiding the dynamic
processes that are the need of the time.
Data Analysts
Like many other fields, Big Data and
predictive analysis is presenting a huge opportunity in the field of logistics,
supply chain management and last mile delivery as well. Effective predictive
analytical solutions helps service providers predict order volumes and analyse
the behavioural patterns of customers. Similarly, predictive analysis allows
logistics applications to achieve route optimization and streamline processes
across the supply chain. Already, E commerce companies are leveraging Big Data
is a major way to achieve better targeting and customisation of their selling
approaches. Professionals with data analysis skills are therefore likely to be
a major draw in the logistics space.
Delivery agents
This is a given! As e commerce sales surge and
doorstep delivery becomes a necessity rather than a luxury, there has been
rising demand for courier delivery agents across the urban landscape. Over the
past year, the demand for last mile delivery agents has already surged as
online purchases pick pace in every sector – be it food, medicines or consumer
goods.
Warehousing managers
With online buying of food and grocery
generating an increasing demand for same day deliveries across top tier as well
as smaller cities, e commerce providers are increasingly feeling the need for
establishing warehousing facilities in multiple cities. This has in turn led to
an increasing demand for warehousing managers, not just to man the facilities
physically but also update the digital warehouse management systems.
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