Page 4 - Logistics News May 2018
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Thought Leadership
Improving asset tracking track specific items, equipment and vehicles
With the ‘Amazon effect’ in full force, through Internet-connected trackers. IoT
consumers now expect a higher level of offers a holistic view of a warehouse floor,
speed and traceability than ever before. ranging from ambient temperatures to
Rather than manual scanning of barcodes, the amount of inventory and equipment
radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags performance. Alarm sensors and closed-
enhanced with IoT are able to connect to circuit television (CCTV) utilise IoT
the cloud and businesses can share tracking technology to aid in detecting theft within
data immediately to consumers. Shippers distribution centres – with the ability to
can also access essential data through these detect unusual activity through alerts or
tags and GPS sensors, including temperature lock doors via a mobile app, for example.
and time spent in transit, which can improve IoT can also be a valuable tool in monitoring
quality control and increase on-time delivery the safety of staff and equipment, as well
percentage. as reducing risk. Through sensors and
aggregated data, equipment failures can
Advancing fl eet management be predicted far in advance, reducing the
IoT, GPS and other tracking technologies chance of delays, damaged equipment and
provide shippers with the ability to trace workplace injuries.
fleets in real time. This visibility allows These are just a few fundamental ways
shippers to proactively avoid potential risks IoT is already shaping – and growing –
or delays, rather than be responsive to them. within the logistics industry. While the
Data includes traffic, weather conditions, technology is still in its infancy, it has the
driving patterns and average speed. Analytics ability to transform the way we do business.
derived from RFID also helps identify It’s predicted that there will be 50 billion
inefficiencies and determine and manage devices connected to IoT by 2020 – a rapid
fleet availability, potential fuel cost savings, 226 percent increase from today. As the
driver headcount, preferred routes and more. technology continues to grow, shippers
should focus on managing, monitoring and
Enhancing warehouse management collecting data from smart devices to further
IoT sensors within warehouses offer greater optimise processes in the supply chain
accuracy, with the ability to manage and realm. •
May 2018 | Logistics News 3
