Customer demands for greater visibility are increasing logistics and transport sector technology adoption

Auckland, 27th August 2025 - Transport and logistics companies in New Zealand and Australia are increasingly adopting a digital mindset and plan to maintain or increase their  technology investments in the next 12 months, 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%) consider technology as important or critical to gaining a competitive edge. Even more (94%) 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% 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.”

Chris Spence, Chief Growth Officer at Sandfield

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,” says Mr 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% vs. 24%).  All Australian companies surveyed report being committed to maintaining or raising their tech budgets, whereas New Zealand companies are more reserved.

Five Signals 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% of those primarily using off-the-shelf SaaS are satisfied with their tech progress.

• Meanwhile, 42% 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.

• 56% of respondents rate their integration as just adequate, poor or very poor.

• Among those who are very dissatisfied with tech progress, 75% also reported poor integration capability.

• On the flip side, 100% 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.

• 80% say technology is Important or Critical for a competitive edge — but many still keep it in the background.

• 45% of companies only sometimes or never highlight their tech when trying to win new business.

• 35% say 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. 

• 51% of all respondents do not measure the impact of past investments.

• 77% 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.

• 48% of respondents are planning, piloting or already using AI in production.

• Interestingly, 81% 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 being deployed for admin reduction, health and safety, quoting, dispatch optimisation, and customer responsiveness.

Access the full report here.