Prological Industry Outlook – Q3 2024

Warehouse automation has long been associated with large-format distribution centres — proprietary engineering, built and supported by a small number of specialist suppliers, at a scale only the largest operators could justify. For most SME owners, that picture settles the question before it is asked. The cost structure behind automation ...

For the past two years, Australia’s industrial property market has been a tenant’s market: rising vacancy, generous incentives, and time on the tenant’s side. That picture is now turning. National vacancy fell to 3.7% in the first quarter of 2026 — the first decline in over two years — as ...

Freight cost reviews have traditionally centred on rate negotiation. This approach can produce measurable savings — typically in the order of 5-7% — but it has a structural limit. Australia’s road transport sector has experienced sustained contraction, with financially stressed carriers exiting the market at an increasing rate; continued downward ...

When warehouse managers hear their teams say, “we’re running out of space,” the instinct is to start planning for bigger premises. It’s a familiar pattern across Australian logistics: inventory grows, storage tightens, and the conversation quickly turns to new facilities. But this default response can be one of the most ...

The annual Prological Supply Chain Pulse Check Survey connected with senior professionals from throughout Australia and New Zealand to gauge their views about trends and challenges impacting supply chains. From C-Suite to entry level – respondents were asked for perspectives on the economic outlook for 2026, sustainability initiatives, rising costs, ...

Before making property decisions, manufacturers, distributors, and supply chain operators need market intelligence that actually matters to their operations. Industrial real estate reports focus on investment metrics and property performance, but they can miss what supply chain leaders truly need to know: how market conditions affect facility costs, operational flexibility, ...

The warehouse automation landscape has changed more in the past five years than in the previous 25. What worked for distribution operations a decade ago won’t cut it today – and certainly won’t prepare businesses for tomorrow’s competitive pressures. The properties that were once considered state-of-the-art are increasingly inadequate for ...

Many Australian B2B manufacturers are caught between rising costs and shrinking margins. Increasing energy costs, complex industrial relations environments, and stringent ESG requirements are making traditional approaches to manufacturing and distribution unsustainable. At the same time, global supply chain disruptions have exposed the fragility of efficiency-focused models that dominated the ...

After a period of economic stagnation, Australian businesses are enjoying a new level of financial flexibility in the first half of 2025. Our mid-year market update examines how these converging economic and political factors are reshaping Australian supply chain operations, from industrial property market dynamics creating new distribution strategies to ...

Historically, businesses have approached industrial property needs through a linear lens: envisage the optimal supply chain strategy, then secure suitable properties to execute. The current landscape of Australian industrial property markets, particularly in major capital cities like Sydney and Melbourne, is fundamentally challenging this conventional wisdom. After years of extremely ...

The e-commerce boom has increased demand for warehouse and logistics workers across the world over the past decade. Finding the workers to fill these roles has been industry’s biggest challenge, however. So, how do you retain and attract top talent to your organisation in these challenging times? In this whitepaper, ...

Sustainability in the supply chain has entered boardrooms across Australia, as more organisations look to align with stricter incoming legislation and growing customer demand for eco-friendly products and services. This Prological whitepaper serves as a practical guide for organisations looking to move from ambition to action with sustainability in their ...

There is no universal template for determining the correct location for all the nodes within a supply chain network. Every stage of the supply chain needs to be customised to the objectives of a particular business, particularly relating to its customer service promise, while freight strategies must resonate with both ...

Prological’s white paper – Supply chain network decentralisation: A practical guide to making it work discusses decentralisation as one of several emerging trends, with key learnings from Apple, Amazon and Volkswagen. The paper offers three clear opportunities for businesses to consider as they create more flexible, agile and resilient supply ...

In response to the constrained industrial property market in Australia and New Zealand’s capital cities, Prological has released a new white paper on the changes in the industry property landscape and its future-focussed ‘next-generation’ approach to new warehouse design and development. 

The white paper, ‘A guide to operational excellence: five processes to explore before making your automation investment’ discusses the advancements in the automation industry, the rise in choice of vendors, and the complexities involved in finding the right fit. It also examines the risks of rushing the process, and the ...

With Australia’s logistics property market currently the tightest in the world, Prological, has partnered with JLL and Pedavoli Architects on a new white paper which examines the current issues in the industrial property market.