Approximately four years ago, when FedEx and MS Azure announced their collaboration, I wrote an article on how this collaboration needs to be taken beyond infrastructure. Beyond leveraging the infrastructure and scale of the cloud. The notion that hyperscaler services are infrastructure services seemed very deep-rooted at that point. Unfortunately, it seems that that has not changed much.

I read a WSJ article this morning about driver safety for FedEx drivers (FedEx Sends Safety Warning to Contractors Amid Reports of Crimes Against Drivers). You can read the article here. As I read the article, it was evident that a cloud-based solution can help implement a solution across the problematic routes to address this issue. While there will be initial hardware cost, once installed, coupled with AI solutions that Azure provides (and so do the other major hyperscalers like AWS and GCP), FedEx can address the challenges.

For example, as per the article: “Some FedEx contractors said that the high turnover in drivers meant that some inexperienced ones may forget to lock windows and trailer doors, or maybe less alert in certain situations.”

No one can be more alert than a bot (sensors and smart cameras). Someone with rudimentary programming skills can buy a couple of kits and program a solution that can make sure that windows and doors are locked, or get locked in certain situations immediately. This simple aspect can be paired with few additional cloud-based services to created a network-wide solution that can alert local authorities as well. That part can also be contracted to a third party, with the on-board systems, integrating with a cloud based solution that then integrates with the system of the third-party contractor.

In another part of the article, a UPS spokesperson says: “Drivers are taught to be aware of their surroundings and to report anything they consider unsafe to the police and their local management team. We work with local law enforcement nationwide to stay abreast of crime in specific areas and take appropriate measures if criminal activity becomes a concern.”  And this is precisely the part that should be automated. Drivers during the Christmas season are overwhelmed. AI can augment the monitoring and reporting part. How difficult is it to access public data on crime in specific areas? Anyone with foundational programming skills can write a program to tap the data and alert the drivers on their mobile devices installed on their trucks.

In some of my other articles, I have emphasized that innovative solutions like these, in addition to delivering the core value (driver safety in this case), also deliver brand impact. The quote from an Amazon spokesperson in the article seems to be a direct jab at this situation FedEx is experiencing:” Thankfully, violent incidents like this are rare across our network; nonetheless, we will look for ways to get better because even a single incident like this is one too many.” Ouch !

Technology as an enabler can help address any problem you face. For some, it may not be cost-effective. For others, it may be time for organizations to understand how to leverage technology strategically beyond infrastructure and automation. FedEx really needs to put the collaboration to good use. With its vast data, infrastructure, and hyperscaler cloud platform, it still has an opportunity to rewrite logistics paradigms, like it once did.