2021 Masters of Logistics: Talent and technology matter

Fall kicks off the season of traditions, and one of our favorites here at Logistics Management (LM) is the release of our “Annual Study of Logistics and Transportation Trends,” a study that LM also refers to as “The Masters of Logistics.”

This marks the 30th year that the LM editorial team has worked with Karl B. Manrodt, Ph.D., of Georgia College on this survey that has become recognized across the industry as the ultimate report card on overall logistics operations performance. Through the survey, our research team reveals the percentage of freight dollars being spent by mode, shares updated performance metrics by mode, and identifies any major shifts in transportation spending and technology adoption.

Manrodt is joined once again by Christopher Boone, Ph.D., of Mississippi State University to put context around the findings starting on page 20. Over the past few years, our team has re-directed some of the questioning to place more focus on the key factors driving digital transformation in our logistics operations, including the need for more software and technology to improve visibility and overall performance.

This year on the transportation performance side, many of the findings support the fact that, while disruptive, the pandemic has greatly amplified the importance of logistics operations to economic success and our overall welfare.

“From what our respondents tell us this year, we can rest assured that logistics is no longer just a cost of doing business in the eyes of the C-suite,” says Mandrodt. “Logistics is now the source of strategic innovation and an essential part of how organizations are competing and preparing for the future. The flag is firmly in the ground.”

And of equal importance, says Boone, the last 18 months has indeed accelerated the need for those operations to finally shake off the yoke of manual processes and embrace the technology that’s right in front of us. He believes that only by taking part in that digital transformation can logistics operations keep pace with the day-to-day and get ready for whatever uncertainty is coming your way—and this year’s results say we’re making progress.

“Technology has changed significantly, and now the attitudes toward its implementation must change at a similar pace,” says Boone. “Today, its capabilities are only limited by our imagination, and it has changed the processes we use to be both efficient and effective in our supply chains. Now, it’s critical that our training and our people keep the momentum going, especially in small- to mid-sized operations.”

According to Manrodt, it comes as no surprise that we find the Masters of Logistics—those responding companies with sales greater than $3 billion—leading the way when it comes to the adoption and support of technology in transportation.

“We see that the Masters’ use of load boards, truck brokers with technology, app-based brokers, contracted services and training on these platforms saw significant growth across the board this year,” says Manrodt. “They’re voting with their data—and dollars—to increase visibility within their supply chain and investment in their people. Now, small- to mid-sized operations need to play catch-up.”

Remembering Mary Holcomb: This year, we move forward with this important research project without the guidance of one of its founders, Mary C. Holcomb, Ph.D., a much-loved and respected professor from the University of Tennessee. Mary passed away earlier this year and will be greatly missed by the staff of LM and everyone who had the pleasure of calling her a colleague and a friend.