Descartes’ Study Shows 40% of Shippers and Logistics Services Providers Plan to Invest in Transportation Technology to Address Industry Changes
ATLANTA and AMERSFOORT, The Netherlands, June 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Descartes Systems Group (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG), the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, released the results of its 8th Annual Global Transportation Management Benchmark Survey of over 630 companies. The study shows that 40% of the shippers and logistics services providers (LSP) surveyed are planning to invest in transportation technology to prepare for industry and regulatory changes. For top financially performing companies where senior leadership view transportation as a competitive weapon, this number rose to 44% compared to 32% for poorer financial performers.
In terms of areas of focus, for the 7th consecutive year, real-time transportation visibility held the top spot for greatest transportation IT investment. Visibility was cited as the priority technology investment by 36% of respondents and was closely followed by order management at 35% in the 2nd spot. Jumping into the 3rd spot, fleet routing was noted by 29% of respondents as an important technology investment, compared to being 8th in 2023. Carrier sourcing continued to decline as an IT investment area for the 3rd year in a row, cited by only 20% of respondents and landing in the 10th spot in the capabilities rankings.
Figure 1. Transportation Management Technology Investments
Source: Descartes
“This year’s study once again shows a correlation between business performance and management’s perception of the importance of transportation, as companies that place a higher strategic value on transportation realize stronger financial performance and growth,” said Mike Hane, Director, Product Marketing, Transportation Management at Descartes. “Top performers continue to take more aggressive actions to grow and expand delivery options for customers, which requires increasing technology investments such as visibility and order management. By contrast, poorer performers are more focused on cost cutting and are 10X less likely to expect growth greater than 15% annually than top performers, according to study findings.”
Descartes and SAPIO Research surveyed 630 participants representing the logistics community (i.e., brokers, forwarders and third-party logistics providers) and shippers (i.e., manufacturers, distributors and retailers) from a wide variety of industries. The goal was to understand how companies view the role of transportation management; uncover which capabilities, technologies and competitive strategies/tactics are having the greatest impact on transportation operations; and provide an outlook on future transportation IT investment.
Respondents were based in the United States, Canada and in Western Europe.
To learn more, read the full report: Descartes’ 8th Annual Global Transportation Management Benchmark Survey.
About Descartes
Descartes (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG) is the global leader in providing on-demand, software-as-a-service solutions focused on improving the productivity, security and sustainability of logistics-intensive businesses. Customers use our modular, software-as-a-service solutions to route, track and help improve the safety, performance and compliance of delivery resources; plan, allocate and execute shipments; rate, audit and pay transportation invoices; access global trade data; file customs and security documents for imports and exports; and complete numerous other logistics processes by participating in the world’s largest, collaborative multimodal logistics community. Our headquarters are in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and we have offices and partners around the world. Learn more at www.descartes.com, and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Global Media Contact
Cara Strohack
Tel: +1(800) 419-8495 ext. 202025
cstrohack@descartes.com
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (“forward-looking statements”) that relate to Descartes’ transportation management solution offerings and potential benefits derived therefrom; and other matters. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the factors and assumptions discussed in the section entitled, “Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results” in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and other securities commissions across Canada including Descartes’ most recently filed management’s discussion and analysis. If any such risks actually occur, they could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. In that case, the trading price of our common shares could decline, perhaps materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purposes of providing information about management’s current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. We do not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.
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