Application of digital technologies to the Singapore logistics industry. Part A : inbound logistics

Abstract

The Singapore logistics industry took shape in the 19th century becoming one of the world’s leading trading hub and a significant contributor to the country’s economy. Leveraging on Singapore’s strategic location and constant drive for innovation, the logistics industry continues to play a vital role in the supply chain.

Singapore has always understood the importance of digital technologies in the logistics ecosystem and has constantly strived towards technological advancement. The country launched two digital logistics portals, TradeNet and TradeXchange, to facilitate trade in Singapore. Subsequently, these two platforms were integrated into the Networked Trade Platform to become a one-stop trade information system.

Recently, the Singapore government launched the Logistics Industry Transformation Map (ITM) identifying the strategies to encourage companies to increase productivity and innovation by capitalising on digital technologies. The strategies mainly cater to improving the last-mile logistics sector, and little focus is placed on helping companies improve their information exchange when handling inbound logistics.

This paper seeks to investigate the potential improvements to the current information exchange process. The method used in this paper comprises of online research and qualitative interviews with various logistics industry professionals. Insight provided by interviewees were consolidated and analysed to identify similar and differing perspectives. A broad spectrum of professionals was interviewed to provide a more holistic understanding of the topic.

While there are various forms of technologies that logistics enterprises can utilise for information exchange, changing industry trends and shortening lifespans of technology requires the need for constant innovation. This paper provides some recommendations that may help these enterprises remain relevant and competitive.