Page 4 - Logistics News - May June 2022

T R E NDS

Supply chain

tech trends to watch

These four tech areas have become more ubiquitous in supply chain management and will continue
to entrench themselves into the foreseeable future.

IoT driving business decisions chain is another way to inform decision-making. Supply
One forecast suggests that there will be more than 75 chain data can be predicted based on past history gleaned
billion IoT-connected devices in use by 2025, three times as from the IoT data pixels. AI and IoT solutions work together
many as in 2019. On the same timeline, the IoT market is to predict problems and offer solutions based on patterns.

expected to have a value of $4-trillion. You should keep an eye out for AI tech solutions such as
demand planning and digital twins. Both solutions will be
One piece of IoT technology will dominate supply chain accelerated by the increased availability of data and cloud

management, especially cold chain management: smart environments managing large fleets of edge devices.

labels. The IoT-connected smart labels can be attached to

products from the point of manufacture to the point of Automation as a result Ctrack Crystal
final consumer consumption. Along the way, they collect The final trend to watch for is automation. Just like AI

data and organise it in one place. If the path an item takes advancements being a natural progression from IoT-
along the supply chain were digital art, the data provided by provided data, automation is a result of data and AI working Clear and precise fleet data in the palm of your hand.

smart labels are like thousands and millions of pixels that, together. The replacement of repetitive and time-consuming
together, paint the big picture. activities through automation has been an ongoing process
for years. It’s nothing new. What is new when it comes to Crystal’s Innovative Solutions supports managers with
Moving from the cloud to the edge automation and the supply chain, however, is automation’s
By using edge platforms and virtualisation technologies, role in transportation. Transportation automation will Intelligence on Safety and Risk Mitigation Efficient Planning with tailored Data Summaries
such as virtual machines and containers, applications can make supply chain professionals with an understanding of

be ported between different computer hardware vendors. data extremely valuable. Automation can happen at a faster Advanced Driver Assistance Inventory & EPOD* Integration
Gateway providers and powerful edge devices able to run rate as professionals within the industry take the data and
Asset Efficiency and Replacement Planning
lightweight machine learning will likely emerge in response implement AI platforms to make decisions. Vehicle Safety Inspection Identify Fleet Risk with Heatmaps*
to this move. Cloud providers will certainly continue pushing
L O GI S T I CS NEWS and run-time environments on cellular smart labels and As businesses focus more closely on their supply chains, * Some product functions not immediately available in Africa. Image for illustration purposes only.
Daily Jobs & On-Route Tasks
In a nutshell
to the extreme edge with real-time operating systems
Camera AI Data Intelligence
Voice Commands via Mobile Device*
executives are realising there are large opportunities for
wearables.

bottom-line impacts. The pathway of IoT-connected devices
Advancements in AI
feeding AI platforms and automation to arm decision-
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions in the supply

making is entrenched. •

Always
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