Actually nothing much has changed in logistics fort the last decades. The supply of the right goods, in the right amount, at the right time and place is the same since 50 years – the quintessence of logistics.
But what has change massively is the environment. The world has become smaller. And it turns faster than ever. Accordingly the quality demands towards modern logistics have increased. Who wants to act and react here in a flexible has to combine more and more information.
Processes regarded isolated before have to be connected and adjusted now. Internal as well as external. In short: the supply chain becomes more complex.
The increasing complexity can only be handled if the transparency of the processes is enhanced. The likewise requested continuous efficiency increases call for benchmarks and Key Performance Indicators (KPI).
Hence new requirement towards performance, openness and extensibility of the underlying IT infrastructure arise. This must cope with the needs – or even better: be a step ahead.