CARGOCONNECT-AUGUST 2025 - Flipbook - Page 45
PAY-PER-USE LOGISTICS : SPECIAL FEATURE
VISHAL JAIN
Co-Founder and CEO,
Roadcast
Leveraging AI-IoT integration,
smart fleet tracking, and automated
route optimisation, these models
bring unprecedented visibility
and responsiveness. Real-time
telemetry, exception handling, and
predictive delivery insights are not
just improving last-mile accuracy,
they’re rewriting the playbook for
omnichannel retail. Whether fulfiling
from a central warehouse or a
micro-fulfilment hub, businesses
now have the tools to deliver faster,
more reliably, and at lower cost.
new channels or regions through software con昀椀guration rather than committing to new physical
infrastructure, scaling up or down with ease.
In essence, tech-driven fulfilment transforms
logistics from a fixed-cost obstacle into a flexible,
channel-agnostic growth lever—enabling brands to thrive
in quick-commerce and omnichannel environments
without being bogged down by fragmented inventory
management.
Vijay adds, “Omnichannel ful昀椀lment today needs
the 昀氀exibility to serve walk-in customers, same-day
app orders, and returns, all from the same supply
chain. That’s only possible when logistics is tech-driven
and modular. What cloud did for IT, programmable
logistics is now doing for ful昀椀lment. That is, letting
brands plug into APIs, scale by usage, and integrate
online and o昀툀ine inventory in real-time. At ClickPost,
we’ve seen this become the foundation for building
responsive omnichannel supply chains.” Apparently,
this evolution turns logistics into a strategic growth
lever, rather than just a backend function.
Sourabh echoes these insights and highlights the
end-customer impact. “In today’s shopping landscape,
customers frequently switch between online and o昀툀ine
shopping without giving it much thought. When a
customer is ordering online, they expect they can go
to the store, online, or their front door to get the same
product within hours of ordering. The brand's job is to
ful昀椀l these orders and do so faster and with 昀氀exibility
that doesn’t rely on traditional ful昀椀lment. Traditional
models just can't keep pace.”
He continues, “AI can suggest where to stock inventory so it’s located at the right place, at the right time.
Warehouses implement automation and software
tech to pick, pack, and deliver inventory faster. In
fact, a Bain report shows that same-day delivery can
increase customer retention rates upwards of 25%.”
Sourabh clari昀椀es real-world implementation: “Tech
enables smart ful昀椀lment—orders can be shipped from
multiple locations, such as warehouses and stores. It is
SUNIL KHARBANDA
Co-founder and COO,
Trezix Software
Companies now gain access to
warehousing, transportation
management, and inventory planning
on a flexible basis, sidestepping
the need for ownership or capital
outlay. A pre-integrated network
lets brands test new geographies or
product lines without building local
supply chains from scratch. Unified
data across fulfilment, returns, and
freight allows predictive planning
and margin optimisation. For enterprises, this means supply chains are
no longer linear cost centres but
responsive, data-enabled systems
that directly support business agility.
based on who can reach the customer quickly. It is this
昀氀exibility that keeps omnichannel brands competitive by
transforming logistics into a true extension of customer
experience.”
Sreeram adds that technology-enabled ful昀椀lment
models are critical to delivering consistent consumer
experiences across both online and o昀툀ine channels.
“Real-time inventory visibility, centralised order management, and integrated logistics systems allow brands
like Reliance, Croma, and Nykaa to ful昀椀l orders from
stores, warehouses, or dark stores based on proximity
and speed,” he says.
Sreeram references industry data indicating that
73% of consumers expect seamless engagement across
physical and digital touchpoints. Meeting this expectation makes tech-powered fulfilment indispensable
for retailers aiming to remain competitive in India’s
evolving retail landscape.
Raj highlights the unique complexity of India’s
logistics environment and the need for orchestration
rather than mere digitisation. “Our platform uni昀椀es
planning, execution, and compliance across road, rail,
air, and ocean, enabling FMCG, pharma, and exporters
to maintain visibility and agility even in tier II and III
cities,” he explains.
Raj stresses that India’s logistics evolution is not
about moving away from contracts but about making
contracts smarter and more dynamic. “Every shipment
is traceable, every rate is benchmarked, and every
delay has a backup. The future isn’t contract-free—it’s
contract-smart. And that’s exactly what we’re building
at Linkedlogi.”
It couldn’t be more evident how technology-driven
fulfilment is central to transforming omnichannel
supply chains. By collapsing complexity into a cohesive,
data-enabled system, modern logistics is delivering the
visibility, velocity, and 昀氀exibility that today’s consumers demand while empowering enterprises to scale
e昀케ciently and responsively across India’s diverse market
landscape.
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