face-to-face with their managers daily . To create future senior leaders in the pipeline , companies must create connections to their teams no matter where they are , “ she says .
Collapsing of Mid-Level Management
The growth of technology has also resulted in the need for fewer mid-level managers . “ As technology solutions become more integrated , companies are losing the need for regional managers and directors ,” Hadhazy says . “ The gap between higher-level leadership and operational day-today leadership is closing because more and more information is easily available . So companies don ’ t need as many people to be ‘ stewards ’ of that information . They are being replaced by digital dashboards that share a lot of that information .”
In addition , Hadhazy foresees how artificial intelligence will be called upon to anticipate and generate contingency plans to help companies cope with disruptions like power outages and weather challenges . “ With AI , companies will be able to anticipate day-to-day disruptions and put together plans before they are needed ,” she says . “ That will mean immediate responses to those disruptions will become more automated . Workers with the skills to mobilize AI will be in demand . There won ’ t be the need to work the phones during a disruption . It will be replaced by mobile devices driven by AI that will seamlessly share information for quicker and more effective responses to disruptions .”
Growth in the Need for Reverse White-Glove
Another area of growth that will require people with specific skills is reverse logistics . “ Retailers are not just looking for providers to do the deliveries to the home . They are also looking for providers who can handle the return from those homes . Think of it as reverse white glove ,” Hadhazy says . “ You ’ re still going to someone ’ s home , but now you ’ re doing the pickup from them instead of delivering to them . It ’ s an area of growth because the more people purchase , the more returns there are going to be . I see it as an interesting opportunity for last-mile providers who can find and train the right people to handle these challenges . It ’ s not a sector that every provider or every driver can handle .”
Drivers and the Last Yard
An area of growth that Hadhazy foresees is what she calls “ the last yard .” It ’ s the kind of delivery that requires more than delivering something to homes but going into those homes to set up the items . “ This kind of delivery requires a higher level of skill ,” she points out . “ And we ’ re seeing more and more demand from specialty shippers like durable medical suppliers or those selling high-end fitness equipment . They want to partner with carriers that can professionally handle these deliveries in the way that they want them done . That ’ s another level of service . It requires a certain level of professionalism to be able to do this in peoples ’ homes .”
People Who Need People
Despite all the advances , or even because of them , Hadhazy points out that human beings will always be central to the process of getting goods from point A to point B . She sums it up this way : “ The process of delivering products to people and the process of producing and creating products for people will always involve people . Even though technology will continue to be an essential part of the equation , last-mile providers still need to develop soft skills in their managers , whether managing a team all over the country or sitting in front of them . And I would even argue that that ’ s more important than the functional skills because AI is stepping in and filling those gaps .” CLDA
38 customized logistics & delivery Magazine I fall 2023