This year, more companies will explore outsourcing their supply chain and logistics requirements, according to a new report.

The forecast, from logistics software company Freightgate, argues that increasing demand for better collaborative business processes, rate management and logistics procurement with greater execution capabilities is beyond the knowledge base, response time and budgets of most in-house IT departments, thus driving the outsourcing trend.

The study also predicts that the convergence of cloud, mobile and information technology into a unified set of forces is shaping IT decisions and marketplace competitiveness,

“More companies will adopt cloud computing and mobile applications within their supply chain and logistics processes,” the study says.

“The trends for cloud computing and mobile applications are creating faster collaborative sharing of information, creating synergies, improving processes and financial results and providing quicker solutions to customer requirements.”

In addition, Freightgate says, strategic transport procurement is more and more becoming a board of directors’ decision. And, it is no longer only about freight rates and service parameters, it argues.

“The procurement footprint is quickly expanding to include carbon footprint, security compliance, reduction of non-core costs, acceleration of business value, collaborative cloud-based analytical platforms and more global environmental awareness,”

says the report.