Overview of technology as a logistics imperative

Technological advances in logistics have moved from optional improvements to strategic necessities, enabling companies to secure competitive advantages as consumer expectations and trade dynamics evolve. Organizations are under growing pressure to make their logistics operations faster, more efficient and more responsive to real-time demand.

Cost pressures and sectoral differences

Logistics expenses typically represent about 8% to 10% of total corporate spending, with lower proportions in service industries such as banking, insurance and fintech. As these costs come under greater scrutiny, investments increasingly target technologies that lower logistics spend while preserving required service levels for time-sensitive consumers.

Variation in adoption across markets and industries

The speed of digital adoption in logistics differs substantially by country and sector. Factors shaping these differences include local cost structures, the maturity of data practices and organizational priorities. While all firms acknowledge the value of digital transformation, many are at different stages in their move toward intelligent, data-driven logistics.

Survey findings on ambitions for supply chain autonomy

Recent survey data show that nearly 66% of participants across multiple countries plan to push supply chain autonomy to the next stage. Countries at the forefront include Italy (74%), Canada (72%), Germany (70%) and the United States (70%).

When asked about reaching "higher autonomy" within the coming decade, France (61%), India (56%) and Germany (46%) reported the most ambitious aims. Canada (31%) and Mexico (22%) indicated lower—but still notable—ambitions to reach higher autonomy by 2035. Overall, roughly 40% of respondents target higher autonomy levels, highlighting varied maturity goals worldwide.

The survey also found diverse ambitions across industries for adopting supply chain autonomy over the next ten years, reflecting sector-specific constraints and priorities.

Developed market focus on next-generation technologies

Many developed economies are prioritizing innovation in areas such as generative AI (GenAI), agentic AI and autonomous systems. These investments emphasize automation, predictive analytics and intelligence for faster, near-real-time decision-making, with countries and companies differing in how far they aim to progress toward autonomous supply chain maturity.

Cloud migration and the need for data governance

The narrative around the "Journey to Cloud" has been present for more than a decade, yet recent years have seen an accelerated migration of legacy systems — including ERP, WMS, OMS and TMS — to cloud platforms. With more logistics data hosted in the cloud, firms are increasingly using advanced analytics for informed, timely decisions.

This shift heightens the importance of robust data quality and governance frameworks to ensure analytics produce accurate, trustworthy outcomes.

Control towers and global trade management

As trade policies and tariffs change dynamically, logistics teams must respond with agility and data-driven approaches. Logistics Control Towers are becoming a baseline capability, delivering end-to-end visibility, real-time alerts, scenario simulations and autonomous execution through system integration.

Because maritime shipping represents nearly 80% of global trade, optimizing charges such as demurrage and detention is a major opportunity. Organizations are investing in global trade management (GTM) systems and services to foresee and reduce delays tied to customs and compliance, keeping trade flows efficient and cost-effective.

Company examples of integrated digital ecosystems

A leading global FMCG firm is building omni-channel, experience-focused applications for distributors, retailers and consumers to provide real-time order visibility. These integrated, data-democratized platforms form a foundation for predictive and prescriptive logistics capabilities enabled by GenAI.

Similarly, a global hi-tech company operating more than 20 interconnected logistics applications is piloting AI-driven automation for freight settlement and audit processes, illustrating how intelligent solutions deliver measurable efficiencies.

Consumer expectations, regulated sectors and cost-avoidance levers

Heightened consumer expectations and regulatory scrutiny are driving change, particularly in regulated categories like alcoholic beverages and tobacco. Firms in these sectors are reassessing portfolios and emphasizing cost-avoidance strategies such as dynamic routing, warehouse automation and just-in-time inventory optimization to manage costs and compliance pressures.

Sustainability, EHS and the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) concerns are accelerating adoption of green logistics and sustainable operations. Modern logistics platforms increasingly include capabilities to monitor carbon footprints and emissions, track fleet and driver safety, and enable predictive maintenance for vehicles and assets.

About 39% of companies expect more efficient, circular supply chains as a result of autonomous systems, and they anticipate a 16% reduction in carbon emissions with those technologies. Meanwhile, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is shifting logistics from static hubs to connected, intelligent ecosystems leveraging IoT, AI, ML, drones and telematics to improve visibility and control.

Logistics as a Service and growing complexity of tools

Organizations that run their own logistics operations are increasingly offering "Logistics as a Service" (LaaS), using technology to optimize margins, capture economies of scale and create collaborative networks through partnerships. As digital footprints expand, the number of logistics-focused tools and applications keeps rising, underscoring the need for a strategic and selective approach to technology investment and deployment.

Authors and their roles

Paras Mehta is Managing Director, Strategy & Consulting at Accenture and leads global logistics and fulfillment capability at Accenture Strategy, advising Fortune 500 C-suites on supply chain transformations using AI, cloud and automation.

Vishal Tickoo is Senior Manager, Strategy & Consulting at Accenture and serves as transportation lead for Accenture’s Global Network, focusing on strategic planning and Transport Management System implementations across FMCG, hi-tech and healthcare industries.