Increased logistics transparency

The internet of things can make information about transport available to the entire Supply Chain, making the chain more transparent, according to researchers at the University of Houston. The smart items monitor the goods and proactively raise an alert if transport conditions are not appropriate anymore, so the carrier is alerted and the goods have a higher chance to be saved. This reduces the costs of return, the removal of defective goods and lowers transports due to lower reshipping rate.

In transit visibility

One area that will play a prominent role in the future Supply chain, as it’s impacted by IoT, is in-transit visibility. The logistics ecosystem has many players, and thus, many moving parts, according to In- bound logistics. Products are handled and transferred between the manufacturer, suppliers, the distribution center, retailer and customer.

Key to in-transit visibility are cloud- based GPS and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technologies, which provide identity, location and other tracking information. These are the backbone of IoT as it relates to the supply chain. By tapping the data gathered by these technologies, detailed visibility of an item is provided all the way from the manufacturer to the retailer. Data gathered from GPS and RFID technologies not only allows supply chain professionals to automate shipping and delivery by exactly predicting the time of arrival; they can monitor important details like temperature control, which impact the quality of a product in-transit.

Decrease Opex

Internet of things means richer data and deeper intelligence for all parties in a supply network. And that doesn’t just apply to product visibility. According to In-bound Logistics, by allowing devices to “talk to each other” in the right way, IoT can help supply chain professionals:

Reduce asset loss

• Know about product issues in time to find a solution.
• Save fuel costs.
• Optimize fleet routes by monitoring traffic conditions.

Ensure temperature stability Monitor the cold chain

• According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, about one third of food perishes in transit every year.
• Manage warehouse stock Monitor inventory to reduce out-of-stock situations.

Gain user insight

• Embedded IOT sensors provide visibility into customer behavior and product usage.

Increase fleet efficiency

• Reduce redundancies – deadhead miles account for up to 10 percent of truck miles, according to the EPA, and 28% for private fleet trucks, according to the National Private Truck Council

(Source – Enterprise IOT insights from IOT Solutions world Congress, Barcelona)

Cargo safety – supply chain visibility solutions

Read about our IOT solutions for supply chain visibility and logistics transparency. We deploy Sigfox, RFID and LoRa technologies to improve supply chain efficiency

Meet us at IOT Asia 2017, Singapore & CebIT 2017, Hannover Germany, Echelon 2017 Singapore, Telematics India

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