Transport and logistics companies are increasingly adopting a digital mindset and plan to maintain or increase their technology investments in the next 12 months.
This is according to a new report by Origin, the supply chain division of Sandfield, an Australasian software developer.
The Origin Logistics Technology Outlook Report 2025 identifies five trends shaping supply chains across Australia and New Zealand, reflecting the perspectives of more than 85 companies representing 3PLs, freight forwarders, warehousing operators and transport carriers, from small independents to enterprise-scale providers.
The majority of respondents (80 per cent) consider technology as important or critical to gaining a competitive edge.
Even more (94 per cent) plan to spend the same or more on technology, seeking to reduce costs and provide customers with greater visibility over their supply chain.
Yet, despite the bullish spending plans, only 28 per cent of companies say they’re satisfied with their pace of technology change with over half of respondents being ‘stuck in neutral’.
This is matched by an ambivalence about measuring the impact of past investments, with only half of respondents doing this.
“There is a clear divide in the way companies approach technology”, says Chris Spence, Chief Growth Officer at Sandfield.
“On one side are the companies gaining an edge with flexible, integrated systems that amplify their unique service offering. The others are standing still, hampered by legacy or generic systems, poor integration, and a lack of measurable ROI.”
The Origin report found that much of the anticipated spending will be on transport management systems (TMS), customer portals, analytics, and integration.
“Successful operators use technology to compete by reducing costs and improving margins, and providing customers with real-time information about pricing, deliveries, and emissions, something which will be in more demand as geo-political tensions create uncertainty in supply chains,” said Spence.
“However, these benefits will only be realised across the industry if there is a concerted effort to improve data accuracy and integration, which is essential to unlock AI-led gains in efficiency and customer experience.”
The Origin Report also compares the attitudes of logistics and transport operators in Australia and New Zealand.
Industry participants in both countries face common barriers – legacy IT systems, budget constraints, integration issues – but Australian firms lead in both their satisfaction with the technology change and planned technology investment.
Australian logistics firms are more satisfied than those in New Zealand with their technology progress (32 per cent vs. 24 per cent). All Australian companies surveyed report being committed to maintaining or raising their tech budgets, whereas New Zealand companies are more reserved.
The Origin Reported notably highlighted five signals currently shaping supply chains:
1. Speed and satisfaction are tightly linked to the technology implementation model. Flexibility, alignment, and the ability to adapt to customer needs are proving more valuable than ‘quick starts.’ Only 14 per cent of those primarily using off-the-shelf SaaS are satisfied with their tech progress. Meanwhile, 42 per cent of those who are primarily co-developing with a tech partner are satisfied or very satisfied.
2. Integration is make-or-break — and most aren’t there yet. System integration enables visibility, automation, and customer experience – and it’s the weakest link in most operations with 56 per cent of respondents rating their integration as just adequate, poor or very poor. Among those who are very dissatisfied with tech progress, 75 per cent also reported poor integration capability. On the flip side, 100 per cent of companies that offer customers full data visibility have excellent or good integration.
3. Tech isn’t being pitched — and it should be. Your supply chain assets, people and service are the backbone of your business. Technology is the amplifier. The right tech stacks turn operational strength into a lasting competitive edge.
Technology, according to 80 per cent of those surveyed, is important or critical for a competitive edge — but many still keep it in the background while 45 per cent of companies only sometimes or never highlighting their tech when trying to win new business and another 35 per cent claiming they always do it.
4. Most companies are investing but not measuring. Without a demonstrable return on investment, future budgets remain under pressure and momentum stalls. Here 51 per cent of all respondents do not measure the impact of past investments and 77 per cent of those dissatisfied with their tech progress do not measure the impact of past
Investments
5. AI has arrived — but it’s still early in the innings. The uptake is real and it’s not just for the enterprise players. AI is being used to reduce cost-to-serve, automate administration and improve data flow. Some 48 per cent of respondents are planning, piloting or already using AI in production. Interestingly, 81 per cent of those already using AI are small to mid-sized businesses (revenue under $250M). Skill shortages ranked as a top barrier to tech adoption.
AI is primarily being deployed for admin reduction, health and safety, quoting, dispatch optimisation, and customer responsiveness.
