The e-commerce market globally has grown significantly over the past decade and continues to boom for the foreseeable future, with Statista predicting that the industry will be worth US$7.4 trillion by 2025. The Indian e-commerce market is expected to become the second largest in the world by 2034, which provides opportunities for entrepreneurs in the country to take their businesses online.
Technological advancements have been key to the rise of e-commerce. Namely, cloud computing offers great opportunities for businesses to grow their online platforms by optimising the use of time and resources.
Cloud computing refers to using a centralised hub of remote servers – in place of local servers or personal computers – for storage, data processing, and management. Cloud computing significantly enhances logistics and stands to make a long-term impact on the e-commerce industry.
What is cloud computing, and how can it be used to enhance logistics?
The logistics industry may use cloud computing services to store, share, and secure vital information while providing businesses and customers transparency and real-time access to information. For example, logistic carriers can scale their operations across multiple sites and track their inventory in various locations. Businesses can also use cloud logistics to gather precise, real-time data on where their shipments are in the supply chain. This enables them to plan appropriately in case of delays or disruptions.
By automating the supply chain, cloud computing can help speed up processes while ensuring a lower margin of error. This increases efficiency and saves time and resources, which can then be diverted elsewhere. Businesses do not have to spend on infrastructure for managing operations when they leverage cloud, enabling greater cost-effectiveness and boosting overall profitability.
As a leading provider of logistical services, DHL offers the benefits above to businesses through its cloud computing services and APIs.
DHL Express’s modular logistics platforms
Application programming interfaces (APIs) facilitate on-demand logistics services and real-time data processing. APIs allow the exchange of information between different applications on the cloud, creating a centralised database for businesses and third-party logistics providers. This offers stakeholders seamless control over business operations and logistics solutions. For instance, businesses can make better decisions as they have access to nearly real-time, accurate information from their data crunched in by all their stakeholders, from their logistics partner to their product suppliers.
DHL’s cloud and API services can offer you seamless control, faster delivery, and price transparency. They also help reduce capital expenditures and hardware maintenance.
DHL’s modular logistics platforms, driven by API, connect various stakeholders such as businesses, carriers, shippers, and customers in a streamlined and integrated manner. This provides efficient, cost-effective options for tracking and billing orders.
Redefining the global supply chain
Through cloud computing services, real-time data tracking is made more efficient, which means you can quickly address any supply shocks, delays or other disruptions, and immediately notify your customers. With greater control over planning and management, you can ensure your customer’s shopping experience remains seamless and hassle-free.
DHL’s e-commerce logistics and cloud services also play a pivotal role in the healthcare industry and its global supply chain. In time-sensitive cases, and when shipping temperature-controlled medical equipment, being able to promptly supply and retrieve critical information about deliveries to and from stakeholders can make a significant impact on the flow of medical items worldwide. We were able to leverage such comprehensive management to complete the deliveries and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines and other urgent medical needs around the world, reaffirming the power that cloud computing can offer to the global supply chain.
Sign up for a DHL Express account today to see how you may benefit from DHL’s cloud computing platforms and APIs, and ride the e-commerce wave with us.