Technology has revolutionized labor markets, transforming the logistics industry. Digitalization has contributed significantly to remote working. Teleworking is an emerging trend in logistics that involves working outside the physical boundaries of a company and interacting with others within and outside the workplace through electronic media (Beauregard et al., 2019). It reshapes employees’ regular activity schedules. Teleworking is a change that is impacting the discipline/ professional field for the program.
Teleworking has various positive effects on logistics. First, it enables companies to procure, store, and transport goods in different remote areas. In this case, remote working supports efficient logistical arrangements and accurate forecasting. This aspect minimizes the possibilities of shipping wastes and unnecessary storage expenses.
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Second, teleworking also improves productivity, enhancing logistics. Workers who perform their duties remotely seem to have improved work-life balance. Working away from one's workplace reduces distractions enhancing productivity. According to Beauregard et al. (2019), "results from an experiment conducted with 252 call-center employees over 9 months showed a 13% increase in job performance of teleworkers" (p. 152). Teleworking also minimizes distractions increasing productivity.
Third, teleworking improves value in logistics. It enriches logistical processes to deliver the right services or products to the relevant consumers in the proper conditions at the required time (Acar & Acer, 2019). It also ensures that customers get the exact quantity of products and services at a reasonable cost. Remote working ensures that organizations meet the external and internal customer’s expectations at the right time. Teleworking also encourages employees to increase their working hours, ensuring that customers' demands are addressed at the right time.
Remote working is significant to logistics because it promotes re-engineering of logistics programs. It restructures work responsibilities in a thorough and effective manner, enhancing work quality. Moreover, re-engineering of these programs facilitates better management, increasing workforce efficiency. It also ensures the flexible allocation of skilled staff, promotes innovation, and supports networking. This aspect improves an organization’s ability to manage logistics during peak periods effectively.
Teleworking has influenced flexibility such that workers could work and conduct virtual meetings from any part of the world (Amiruddin & Romdhony, 2018). This has reduced the cases of work lag brought about by absentia. It has also promoted the expansion of logistics, and the company could open global branches that could be easily controlled from the head office. Flexibility also enables the workers to be on call during their leave in case of urgency.
Technology has also introduced and improved the aspect of virtual business information in logistics (Karia, & Asaari, 2019). This has greatly reduced the costs of operation, most specifically in marketing. This is because technology has enabled the introduction of websites and online sales platforms, whereby clients can get all information needed and also make their purchase through the platform. Websites also act as marketing sites, thus relieving companies the burden of doing physical marketing activities and activations. Virtual marketing could also include social media presence and activations.
Technology has ensured the competitiveness and effectiveness of companies by ensuring positive interactions between the manager and employees through frequent virtual meetings (Jusoha, & Azizb, 2016). Through technology, an employee could consult the manager on ways to improve functionality and effectiveness from anywhere and anytime. It has also improved employees’ response to change within the organization. This is due to the fact that most information is available online, and there is an option of virtual induction, where employees are taught all that is needed during and after the change through systems like webinars.
Technology provides various networking opportunities for the employees as it gives them access to their colleagues in the industry, and this helps them to share ideas, thus obtaining new perspectives in the industry. Technology has positively impacted the logistics sectors as teleworking has proved to be of benefit to the players in this industry.
References
Acar, P., & Acer, Z. (2019). Managing remote employees: A qualitative research in logistics industry. The European Proceedings of Social and Behavioural Sciences , 219-229. https://doi.org/10.15405/epsbs.2019.10.02.20
Amiruddin, B. P., & Romdhony, D. R. (2020). A Study on Application of Automation Technology in Logistics and Its Effect on E-Commerce.
Beauregard, T., Basile, K., & Canonico, E. (2019). Telework: outcomes and facilitators for employees. In R. Landers (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of technology and employee behaviour (pp. 511-543). Cambridge University Press.
Jusoha, N., & Azizb, Z. A. (2019). Sustainable Competitive Advantage of Logistics Service Providers in Malaysia: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change , 8 (3), 104-119.
Karia, N., & Asaari, M. H. A. H. (2016). Innovation capability: the impact of teleworking on sustainable competitive advantage. International Journal of Technology, Policy and Management , 16 (2), 181-194.
