By Saswat Samal
Education has come a long way in developing globally and has the potential to reach more people than ever before. Ed-etch companies are now leveraging digital platforms and mobile technology to educate people across geographic and economic boundaries. Also, several governments are collaborating with ed-tech companies to educate a large part of the population. This industry is here to stay and change the face of education.
As more and more students use technology for education, it is critical that people have access to infrastructure made up of reliable internet bandwidth and digital products. The ed-tech industry has called on the logistics sector to set up a good infrastructure. With their contributions, the logistics industry has become an integral part of this market, but it is also one of the most overlooked factors shaping the ed-tech industry. Even when ed-tech companies come up with strong revenue models, products and marketing, their supply chain can be the determining factor in establishing a proactive and successful education platform.
What are the consequences of insufficient logistics handling?
The ed tech industry relies on many factors to implement successful educational platforms, and there are many issues facing the ed tech companies. Here’s a look at some of the hurdles created by inadequate logistics partnerships.
Inadequate infrastructure – Lacking comprehensive logistical support, ed-tech startups find it difficult to ship their products. Critical mobile technology and the necessary teaching materials do not reach the students and teachers in time. There are high product returns, failed deliveries and delayed shipments that hinder the delivery of ed-tech. The ed-tech industry will find it difficult to establish itself without successful logistics partnerships to spread infrastructure evenly across all of its consumers.
High cost of setting up educational platforms – Establishing competitive educational technology requires efficient shipping to move many products, such as mobile devices, projectors, screens, reference materials, and others. On top of that, finding the right teachers and faculties to run an ed-tech platform can get very expensive. Such factors together can push investment for ed tech companies to the higher end, making it difficult for startups to consistently bring in more money. In addition, the logistics costs can eat up a lot of money, which reduces the success rate of ed-tech startups.
Shipping like a pro – lessons learned from online retailers
The e-commerce industry is growing and stabilizing into a massive gold mine, with online retailers constantly stepping up their game. This success is due to multiple reasons that can be beneficial to the ed-tech industry. In that case, shipping is an aspect that the online retailers have worked out well with logistics companies and their 3PL partners. Strong logistics partnerships will help any ed-tech startup penetrate the market with competitive and reliable shipping. That can be multiple carriers and 3PL partners to build a solid logistics infrastructure for your ed-tech startup. Online retailers use multiple logistics partnerships to formulate shipping activities.
Additionally, when it comes to shipping, streamlining the entire supply chain is inevitable for high success rates and credibility in the industry. The ed-tech supply chain can get a big boost with the help of logistics intelligence software. Here are some other features that can be used with shipment tracking software.
Implement Tracking- It’s easy to see why product tracking is so popular with shippers. With good shipment tracking software, your company can monitor the inbound and outbound movements of all products. This makes for more successful product deliveries for your ed-tech business, which relies on mobile devices and electronic products to build educational platforms.
Automation Support- Shipping software is built with automation tools that can do the heavy lifting for logistics operations related to your ed-tech business. Whether managing multiple suppliers, carriers, deliveries, transit, returns, etc., shipping software automation can provide concrete solutions for increasing productivity and fulfilling orders. Automation tools also reduce labor and costs, while reducing paperwork and administration costs.
Logistics is the backbone of many industry sectors and it is often the most overlooked hurdle faced by ed-tech startups. The ed-tech industry is not immune to the common factors that can affect its business, such as irregular financing, changing education, high infrastructure costs and weaker revenue models. By leveraging strong 3PL partnerships, automation, and product tracking using shipping software, ed-tech companies can configure their logistics to succeed despite other challenges.
The author is ecommerce expert, ClickPost.
