Organizations in various industries of all shapes and sizes are using the IoT to drive significant efficiencies in supply chain management. Simply put, organizations’ supply chains are able to provide clearer visibility on the movement of goods in feet and seconds as opposed to miles and days. This, in turn enhances everything from item-level condition monitoring, to on time delivery to ensuring that goods arrive at the right place and in the proper quality and quantity.
As consumer demands become more sophisticated and delivery points continue to multiply, logistics providers face new challenges. The last mile of the delivery journey is more easily monitored and managed as the IoT is providing creative new solutions for this important stage in the supply chain. These are being seen in cost-effective solutions that provide value for the end customer and operational efficiency for the provider. The following article depicts a number of contemporary use cases in this regard.
Across the world, experts in multiple industries seem to agree on one core assessment: We are only at the beginning of the Internet of Things (IoT) revolution.
Consider the scale of future impact. Over the next five years, humans will more than triple the number of “things” connected to the Internet, growing them from 15 billion today to 50 billion by 2020. Still, 50 billion represents only a tiny fraction of what could be connected — something on the order of 3% of all connectable things.
The sizzling pace of innovation in recent years — particularly the proliferation of embedded sensor technology, wearables, and apps — has already caused incredible change, and in just a few short years. What will the supply chain world look like when not 1% of things, nor 3% of things, but 30% of things are connected?
