Change management and interoperability: the main challenges of road transport

In recent years, road transport has been immersed in an accelerated transformation process that poses great challenges, but also great opportunities.

This change, driven by digitalization, is redefining the rules of the game in logistics and the supply chain. It is no longer a matter of contemplating the option of digitizing processes, but how to do it effectively, purposefully and strategically.

This was emphasized during the day Digitaliza. Digitalization in logistics and transport organized by Cadena de Suministro, where the importance of adopting new technologies, tools and digital approaches to be more competitive was highlighted.

Digitalization as a strategic necessity

Digitalisation is no longer an option for transport and logistics companies, but a strategic necessity. Its impact extends to all levels, from improving operational efficiency, to environmental sustainability, safety and, of course, customer experience.

But more importantly, digitization generates and manages data, and that data is the basis for making proactive decisions, anticipating problems and adapting to an ever-changing environment.

However, digitization itself brings with it significant challenges that companies in the sector must overcome in order to make the projects a success.

Resistance to change in the digital transformation of road transport

During the meeting, all the speakers agreed that, although there are technologies and solutions available to optimize all transport and logistics operations, the main barrier is the human factor.

In fact, at the event, attendees were asked why they believe that digitalization is advancing so slowly in the sector and the answer was, almost unanimously, “due to a lack of innovation culture”.

Resistance to change, therefore, is one of the main brakes on the digital transformation of the sector, especially in the road sector, due to the atomization of companies.

Change management: key to success

As a solution, it was concluded that, in a VUCA context (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous), companies need support, training and tools that make change understandable and acceptable.

In this regard, at the panel discussion “Connected Road Transport: Challenges and Solutions in the Digital Age”, Rodrigo Martín, Logistics and Transport Manager at FIELDEAS, pointed out that no project to implement a digitization solution will be successful if the focus is not placed on the human factor, regardless of the profitability and efficiency it can bring.

For this reason, Rodrigo Martín opted for an emphasis on change management. “You have to involve all departments and all staff, at all levels. The goal is for the team to see the digitization solution as an ally and an aid to their daily work, rather than as a complication.”

Thus, the experiences of our own customers show that digitizing with sense and prioritizing real needs can mean savings of more than 500% compared to paper.

Interoperability in the digital transformation of road transport

Another major challenge in the digitization of road freight transport, and in logistics in general, is the interoperability of systems.

The transportation companies, operators and shippers that participated in the event pointed out that the main problem with the digitization of processes is that each company works with its own system, which creates difficulties in integrating data from different sources and technologies.

This results in data being siloed and managed internally, which prevents the full potential of available information from being realized.

Collaboration for interoperability

The barrier of the lack of interoperability in the digitization of transport and logistics can only be overcome in one way: with collaboration.

The Supply Chain meeting emphasized that initiatives such as the eCMR and the eFTI Regulation are leading the way towards interoperability. However, it is essential that industry players actively collaborate in this transition and lose their fear of sharing data.

In this regard, Rodrigo Martín explained that the role of technology companies is to facilitate the way for companies in the sector, facilitating the unification of information in pursuit of interoperability.

FIELDEAS Track and Trace, a partner in change management and interoperability

With everything analyzed in this post and shared at the event, from FIELDEAS Track and Trace we position ourselves as a strategic ally in change management and a key player in improving interoperability within the road transport sector.

Thus, our Track and Trace solution is designed to be modular, scalable and easily integrated into any existing system. This allows companies to implement our solution progressively and accompanied by an expert team that guides each step of the process.

At FIELDEAS we understand that digitalization goes beyond the technology itself; it is about people, processes and organizational culture. Therefore, we make a strong commitment to change management, helping our clients to overcome cultural and technical barriers to make their digital transformation process a success.

As the Transport and Logistics manager pointed out at the event, FIELDEAS does not offer a black box, but rather an open, transparent platform adapted to the real needs of the client, which allows value to be extracted from the data from the outset.