Cloud computing and Logistics IT

Cloud computing or services over Internet changed the face of IT.  People who used to carry laptop or computer to process data, now been able to do the same using their Mobile /tablets.  Thanks to Cloud computing which made the world of communication and data processing @ a finger touch.

History and Evolving of Information Technology in India

1990 to 2000

Only Regional / Area offices of the company used to have computers to process their data in 90’s. We had some PCs used for data entry company transactions.  Backup was done once in a month and data sent to Head quarter of the company.  The data centre was only at the Head quarter of the company.  Top Management normally wait for business report of the previous month till 5th of the next month.   It was a challenge to EDP (Electronic Data Processing) Department at Head Office to get clean, correct data from distributed database environment.  EDP department is nothing but IT department @ 1990s.  IT investment was very less and only premium companies afford computerisation.

2001 to 2010

ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) took shape in 2000 in India.  Centralised data base in the data centre and HRIS,CRM, Operations, Finance – all departments transactions were captured in a single data base in real time.   Companies sell the output of real time data to their customers and positioned and enabled themselves competitive in their respective market.  Top Management and internal as well as external customers were able to see their reports in real time and no waiting. Now IT Department and HEAD IT have a prominent position in corporates.   IT investment became unavoidable and must for survival.

2011 onwards…

Apps Generation- (Applications in Mobile)- cloud computing was in the nascent stage in the advent of 2010 and each company used to have  Web application for the company transactions and they wanted to have Mobile applications for the process which faces the customer at field.    Mobile application which is integrated with the Web application gave brilliant and ‘WOW!’ -Experience to their customers.  Top management aware of benefits from IT investment and No company wants to start their business without Information Technology.    CIO or Head of IT –predominantly has vital role in business.   IT department become heart of the business.

Revolutionizing IT by Cloud computing (reference to Logistics)

We have many divisions in Logistics –Transportation management system(TMS), Passenger transportation, Food Logistics, Cash Logistics are famous few namely. 

Our own logistics from anywhere to anywhere become so easy by using apps provided by Uber, Ola etc., to do pickup at anywhere you are standing and drop at the destination.   Instead of we go to bus stand or taxi stand, now cab come to our place and take us to the place where we want.   This is great change that has been made by cloud computing.   Now we track ourselves in the mobile.

Passenger transportation – Pickup from house to office and office to house made easy through applications.  Routing and assigning route to Drivers and vehicles is system enabled and shift in-charge job is made so easy by applications.   Panic alarm keeps the female staffs safe and corporate commutation used to be a nice experience to their staffs.

Railways – offered app to book the ticket /order food from Train and allowed to call the attendant to your compartment by sending a request through app.

Food Logistics- our children ordered their Pizza sitting at home and enjoying the taste within 30 minutes of booking.   Entire family came midnight and wanted to have dinner –without hassles order booked in mobile to Restaurants and within short span of time, dinner was at your door step.

Ecommerce Deliveries /Courier- Orders are processed and posted to Delivery Service provider and their vehicle comes or goes to Warehouse/ Seller’s place and scans the packets.   Real time data to Ecommerce Company as well as their end customer.   Proof of attempt and tracking of Bikers on the map.  Deliveries to end customer – by cash or Card possible and Proof of delivery photos are shown in the Tracking.  This has given great user experience and this is possible due to cloud computing.

Transport Management system- Pickups and their missing, Loading in vehicle, Movement of vehicles through GPS, Delivery updates of parcels, Proof of delivery and attempts in photo- all made possible by applications.

Digitization of activities are possible due to cloud computing and the applications we are having and using in Mobile made us slaves of so called “APPS”- without which we are helpless now-a days.