Today more than ever, the world's economy depends upon the efficient movement of people and goods. In recent years, the adoption of just-in-time inventory systems and other innovations have allowed firms to shorten their time to market and cut manufacturing costs. In order to take advantage of these innovations, however, firms must also have access to an efficient, reliable, and cost-effective transportation infrastructure.
The transportation industry is responding to this challenge by using network-enabled technologies to build more efficient and productive operations. These technologies allow airlines, railroads, commercial trucking firms, and other transportation enterprises to manage labor costs more effectively, improve customer service, and build a better-trained, more productive workforce. These solutions are also providing important new sources of efficiency and reliability for an industry buffeted by unpredictable fuel prices, continuing economic uncertainty, and other external factors.
In the past, the unique nature of the transportation industry-in particular its reliance on dispersed, highly mobile workforces and physical assets-made it somewhat difficult to implement network-enabled technologies. However, a new generation of technologies-both networking (especially wireless) and software applications-and the growing acceptance of the Internet promise to overcome these limitations.
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