Tag: IoT

IoT, or the Internet of Things, is the realization of every conceivable device connected to the internet in both your home and your office.

The Industry 4.0 Ecosystem!

The Industrial Revolution from Industry 1.0 to 5.0!

The Industry 4.0 Ecosystem involves leveraging the latest technologies, digital capabilities, the unprecedented dissemination of IoT (the Internet of Things) and the incredible ability to tap into data anywhere and everywhere in the Supply Chain.

The level of digital connectivity across the entire End-to-End Supply Chain, from customers through to manufacturers, distributors, logistics companies, and suppliers of all kinds enables this forward leap to an Industry 4.0 world.

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IoT and Manufacturing (Infographic)!

The Industrial Revolution from Industry 1.0 to 5.0!

The Internet of Things (IoT) enables the end to end connectivity of all aspects of our lives in an unprecedented manner.  What happens when IoT and Manufacturing come together?

In the arena of Manufacturing there has always been a reliance on processes, data, sensors, controls, analysis and metrics to allow for monitoring, management and optimization of those Manufacturing processes.  And the ability to leverage historic approaches has varied from company to company and industry to industry.

But now with the advent of IoT, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Industry 4.0 the ability to optimize Manufacturing processes through this incredible digital connectivity is about to take a quantum leap forward.

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The Inevitable Future of the Internet of Things (IoT)!

The Internet of Things (IoT) – Welcome the Digital Supply Chain!

The Internet of Things — IoT, for short — is made up of devices that connect to the internet and share data with each other. IoT devices include computers, laptops, smartphones, and objects that have been equipped with chips to gather and communicate data over a network. 

IoT devices have become a part of the mainstream electronics culture that people have adopted into. It is estimated that there will be up to 21 billion IoT devices by 2020, impacting how we interact with basic everyday objects. 

There are several things to note about the IoT as it becomes more mainstream, as a key element of the Digital Supply Chain.

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The Competitive Edge: How IoT Solutions are Redefining Supply Chain Management!

The Time and Need to Reinvent Supply Chain Management!

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, supply chain management has become more critical than ever before. With consumers demanding faster delivery times, higher product quality, and greater transparency, companies are constantly seeking ways to gain a competitive edge.

Enter the Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, which are revolutionizing the way supply chains operate. In this blog, we will explore how IoT solutions, along with digital transformation services is transforming supply chain management and why it’s essential for businesses to embrace this technology to stay ahead in the market.

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How AI and the IoT Can Change Transportation Management!

The Top 5 Impacts of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Logistics!

Analysts predict that by 2020, 75% of new cars will feature IoT connectivity. The percentage increase describes consumer applications, but the idea of connected vehicles should garner interest from other sectors such as shipping, logistics, and transportation management.

Leaders in these industries would be wise to plan for a future where AI and the IoT transform transportation management.

Here are five possible applications to consider:

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What is Big Data?

5 Seismic Shifts in Supply Chain Technology!

I remember manually plugging 16kB (that’s right “kilobyte”) memory chips into an original IBM Personal Computer.  The crunching sound they made was unforgettable.  I was ecstatic that I had increased the total memory to 128kB, and then to 256kB … WOW!   At that time that was a lot of memory.  Who could ever need to store that much data?  That was “Big Data“.

Let’s fast forward to today.  The memory on your handheld smartphone and other devices is measured in Gigabytes (GB).  Over 2.5 quintillion bytes of information are generated every day.  Every move, every transaction, every image, every event and every location in everyone’s  lives are recorded.

That is Big Data!

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The Guinness Book of World Records for 3D Printing!

Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing!

Technology and creations go hand-in-hand. The former is fundamental in building anything that can impact development, lifestyle, and economy. Take for instance, the 3D printing technology and how it rewrites the Guiness Book of World Records.

Though it was introduced three decades ago, it is recently that its impact is felt in industrial and manufacturing sectors. It has paved ways for testing and trying many things that has changed the traditional manufacturing methods.

All that invention and creativity that went into it, have enabled in developing many “worlds first.”

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The Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Over the Next Half Decade!

The Top 5 Impacts of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Logistics!

Why half? For those who may find awkward the reference to “half a decade” and not the “next decade” here is why: AI is evolving at such a staggering rate that it is simply not possible to foresee the impact of Artificial Intelligence in 10 years’ time.

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Supply Chain Investment Challenges – Real and Imagined!

The Digital Supply Chain Road is Full of Potholes, Construction and Accidents!

Everywhere you turn there is talk of a lot of very exciting technologies requiring Supply Chain investment.  The Internet of Things (IoT), Augmented Reality (AR), Drones and Autonomous Vehicles, Robotics, Virtual Reality (VR), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Intelligent Analytics are front and centre.

And all of these technologies have applicability for the Supply Chain in every business and in every industry around the world.   The Digital Supply Chain vision is within our line of sight.

But most companies are still working with the same, manual, non-automated Supply Chains that they have had for at least the last decade.  And they will continue to do so in the foreseeable future.  They are faced with challenges which are going to impede technology investments to advance their Supply Chains going forward.

What are these Supply Chain challenges?

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Is Your Supply Chain A Cost Centre or a Value Creator?

It’s Time to Welcome The Supply Chain CEO!

The Supply Chain function within your company has many responsibilities.  From planning to negotiating to buying, from moving goods to processing goods, and from managing data to managing inventory.  These responsibilities are at the core of making your company run.  But is Supply Chain a Cost Centre or a Value Creator?

Yet often the Supply Chain is undervalued.  While every function must help your company grow and prosper when the heat is on uninformed Executives can view Supply Chain as merely a Cost Centre.  As such there can be unrelenting pressure to continue to cut costs.

Why is Supply Chain often undervalued?  And how do you increase the value of Supply Chain in the eyes of your Executives and other functions?

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Are We Facing the End of Supply Chain Management?

Imagining the Supply Chain of the Future!
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A new article in Harvard Business Review has been generating some automation-related controversy in the Supply Chain Community, as well as lots of buzz and interesting conversation. Naturally, we want to weigh in and the end of Supply Chain Management.

Titled, “The Death of Supply Chain Management,” the article discusses the way that automation, AI and big data are transforming the industry.

It raises the alarm that the function will soon cease to exist, only to – as these “X is dead“ articles often end up doing – assert that it will still exist, just in a very different form.

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Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing!

The Guinness Book of World Records for 3D Printing!

Although additive manufacturing and 3D Printing for both plastic and metal materials has been around for years, the investment, developments, breadth of applications, adoption rate, and beneficial case studies are expanding at an extremely rapid rate.

New processes, materials, devices, design applications, are emerging every day. Now, there are cloud sites that store portfolios of designs, much like Pandora does for music. All of this is creating an amazing amount of opportunity creating more efficient supply chains, new product types, de-centralized manufacturing schemes, and easier approaches to mass-customization.

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What’s the Difference Between Blockchain and Supply Chain?

The 5 Levels of Supply Chain Transparency!

The phrase “Supply Chain Management” was first coined in 1982.  The idea of a  “Blockchain” was conceived in 2008 although the concept of a chain of blocks began as early as 1991, and use of the word Blockchain itself has only become popular in the last few years.

Blockchain has rapidly become a very widely used term, at first intended to describe the enabling technology platform behind Bitcoin.  However as awareness and knowledge of the technology has been increasingly understood the words Blockchain and Supply Chain are more often used together.

As people become more familiar with Blockchain, and consider it’s applicability in their strategic Supply Chain plans, we thought it important to clarify how Blockchain and Supply Chain are different yet mutually supportive.

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Cyber Security: The Weakest Link is Your Biggest Risk!

4 Pitfalls to Avoid When Selecting Supply Chain Technology!

We all know how important cybersecurity is now that technology powers commerce in such a significant way. But if you perform work as part of a supply chain, you know that the stakes are especially high with cyber security the weakest link.

Given that you’re part of a network of providers, vendors, transporters and managers, the impact of the weakest link in the supply chain cybersecurity “chain of custody” can be significant.

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Artificial Intelligence in Energy Management! (Infographic)

The Internet of Things (IoT) – Welcome the Digital Supply Chain!

When you think of Artificial Intelligence, or AI, you might think of freaky, futuristic robots.  However as Fuel Fighter has found in its recent research AI is far more helpful than this futuristic, obscure and seemingly distant perception suggests. Artificial Intelligence in Energy Management is quickly becoming a part of our Energy industries, helping to develop more efficient and safe energy production techniques.

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