The company, which has used GPS-based vehicle tracking for around 25–27 years, is adapting to changing customer expectations, with real-time shipment visibility now considered a basic requirement rather than a value-added service.     “Twenty-five years ago, the customer wanted us to tell them where their goods were. Today, with the transparency layers we have added, the customer already knows where the goods are. The expectation has completely changed,” Syal said.    Safexpress uses GPS, geospatial technologies and digital platforms to provide customers with real-time information throughout the shipment journey. With greater transparency, customers increasingly expect logistics providers to explain delays and deliver solutions rather than simply provide location updates.     The company offers dedicated digital portals with advanced analytics for large customers, while smaller and occasional users can access shipment information through its website.    Safexpress is also expanding its use of AI for customer interactions and internal processes. Its Safexpress Intelligence Agent (SIA) is operational, helping employees access information, data and analysis to respond more efficiently to customer requirements.     “The real game changer will be when we can deploy AI meaningfully into our operational side. That is where we will see whether it can create a material change,” Syal said.     One application is invoice verification for more than 15,000 credit customers, many of whom have specific requirements for invoice formats, supporting information and documentation. Safexpress has introduced agentic AI to reduce manual verification and improve processing speed and consistency.     “We have pushed that into our agentic AI system. The manual checking mechanism has now been reduced to a fraction of what it was a year ago,” Syal said.     Beyond AI, the company is evaluating opportunities to improve efficiency through material-handling equipment, conveyors, forklifts, robotics and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). Safexpress already operates advanced material-handling infrastructure across its hubs, while further automation remains under consideration.   

 Syal emphasised that AI, robotics and material-handling equipment address different operational requirements. The company’s broader strategy is to identify technologies that deliver measurable improvements across its operations, with particular emphasis on reducing costs, minimising errors and enhancing productivity.