The development of more robust management and operational software is creating a new dimension to the moving and storage industry, allowing it to be much more customer-focused and responsive to customers' needs.  This has already begun to improve the moving experience, and those who plan to move in coming years can expect the industry's customer service to improve even more.

 

At first glance moving and storage might not seem like an industry that could be helped very much by high technology short of developing intelligent robots that can pack up your kitchen for you.  Moving, after all, is a practical exercise:  you pack boxes, you carry them to a truck, you drive the truck, you unload the boxes, you unpack the boxes.  There isn't much room in that process for computers to help, unless somebody's planning on putting out a PC with strong arms and a good back.

 

On the other hand, a deeper analysis reveals nearly limitless ways that technology can enhance the moving process.  Moving isn't all about packing and lifting and unpacking.  It's also about planning out what can be a significant logistical challenge.  Logistics planning is one area in which computers are extremely helpful, and by supporting their customers' logistical planning moving and storage companies are making themselves more integral to and more supportive of the whole moving process.

 

Today moving and storage companies support logistics in two primary ways, first by providing front-end solutions that help their customers to plan their moves more effectively and second by using their own back-end logistics solutions to manage their businesses more efficiently, which in turn improves service for their customers.

 

There are a number of front-end solutions that are now available to moving and storage customers, and those solutions are likely to become more robust and effective into the future.  For example, most moving truck rental companies provide checklists and other online tools to help you plan the packing and unpacking process.  And they provide seamless online links with partners, so that you can add storage to a truck rental without having to do additional shopping.  In addition, these partnership offers often involve a customer discount.

 

The back-end solutions aren't as apparent, but they are also quite helpful.  Most large truck rental companies, for example, run fleet management solutions, which automate the maintenance and use plans for their equipment.  Those programs help customers by ensuring that equipment is at the pickup location and that the equipment receives all necessary maintenance, reducing the likelihood of an equipment failure or breakdown.

 

Into the future, one can expect that moving and storage companies will continue to add features that will support their customers' logistical needs.  The increasing capability of smartphones will probably support these features in important ways, helping with everything from trip planning and management to creating a personal inventory system for a storage space.

 

Of course, that won't change the practical nature of the moving and storage industry.  Unfortunately, you'll still have to pack everything up (or pay someone to do it).  Once you get the stuff to your new home you'll have to unpack it (or pay someone to).  However, those practical aspects of the industry will also become more efficient as they ride the increasingly well greased rails of technological innovation.

 

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