Few manufacturing trends in recent years are as buzzworthy or as promising as Industry 4.0. This data-driven industrial revolution promises to make factories a safer and more efficient place, but today’s technology can’t see it through. While currently connected factories are a marked improvement, manufacturing needs better cellular connectivity to experience Industry 4.0 in full.

With more than 50 billion IoT devices in the world, today’s connections will soon be insufficient. Manufacturers can already integrate many IoT technologies into their facilities, but modern connections may not support bigger busier networks. That’s where 5G IoT comes in.

5G will take the IoT to the next level. This upgrade is particularly beneficial for manufacturers. Here’s a closer look at how these new networks will revolutionize Industry 4.0.

Shortcomings of Hard-Wired Connections

Some people may push back against the onset of 5G networks. After all, the U.S. needs eight times the infrastructure to support these new connections, which may seem too substantial an inconvenience. Why switch to cellular networks for Industry 4.0 when hard-wired connections already provide such speed and reliability?

While fixed connections do present some advantages of wireless ones, they come with their fair share of shortcomings. In a factory, where people and machines are continually moving, physical wires present a problem. Someone could easily unplug an ethernet cable, jeopardizing any mission-critical operation relying on it.

Hard-wired connectivity also limits flexibility, which is a problem many facilities already have in excess. If a factory needed to reorganize or adjust its operations, it would take time to cost money. Since many new technologies only support wireless connections, sticking to a hard-wired system could restrict facilities to legacy tools.

Physical connections, although reliable, aren’t suitable for manufacturers. Wireless connectivity is a necessity, and 5G provides the kind of wireless network the industrial IoT needs.

How 5G Improves Cellular Connectivity

The advantages of wireless over ethernet connections are evident, but why is 5G necessary? The fifth generation of cellular networks benefits IIoT in three primary ways: speed, latency, and bandwidth. Each of these improves with 5G, and each is essential for the IIoT to work.

Experts expect 5G to be at least 10 times faster than today’s 4G LTE connections. Some have even predicted it will be as much as 100 times faster. Such a tremendous increase in speed would make it possible to run virtually any operation online.

With near-zero latency, these connections would also be far more reliable for handling mission-critical workloads. Many companies may be hesitant to move some functions onto the cloud in fear of disruption on current networks. They wouldn’t have to worry about that anymore with 5G.

Finally, an abundance of IoT devices requires a considerable amount of bandwidth. That’s one of the most significant barriers to IIoT adoption today, but it wouldn’t be an issue with a 5G-powered IoT. 

The Internet of Everything

That bandwidth upgrade is one of the immediately noticeable advantages of 5G in manufacturing. Since it can support more devices in the same area, manufacturers can implement IoT devices on a massive scale. The industry could move beyond the IoT into the internet of everything (IoE).

In the IoE, everything — including processes and sometimes people — is online instead of a few physical devices. Imagine a factory where every machine, product, utility, and function can communicate on a single network. This level of connectivity would be impossible without the bandwidth improvements of 5G.

If the IoT makes manufacturing more efficient, then the IoE will revolutionize it. In a sense, everything in a factory is already connected since a mistake at one point can disrupt the entire process. The IoE would give facilities the ability to see and react to these mistakes before disruptions happen.

Predictive Maintenance

One of the most promising benefits of the IIoT is being able to perform predictive maintenance. Instead of repairing machinery as it breaks, sensors communicate when it might need attention. This practice is possible with today’s networks, but 5G can enable it on virtually every machine in a facility.

Even a regular maintenance schedule isn’t always optimal for machines’ health. Too many factors can affect a system’s condition, and maintenance needs, even if frequent, rarely occur on a schedule. Constant monitoring and analysis is the best solution, but running these sensors on several pieces of equipment takes a lot of bandwidth.

On a 5G network, bandwidth wouldn’t be an issue so that manufacturers could use widespread predictive maintenance without worry. Since this gives machines 10 to 15 more days of availability a year, this would lead to a considerable boost in productivity. The savings from this application alone would make up for the cost of 5G infrastructure.

Remote Monitoring and Service

The sensors within a machine aren’t the only part of monitoring and maintenance that would improve with 5G. On a cellular network, workers could look at monitoring data no matter where they are. This accessibility isn’t only convenient but would also save time workers would otherwise spend walking to each machine to check on it.

Remote monitoring doesn’t just apply to machine maintenance, either. Data analysis is a cornerstone for many business practices today, and being able to do so remotely makes data-driven processes far more flexible. Companies could show real-time data to investors, share information with analysts while out of the building, and more.

Not only would workers be able to look at data remotely, but they could also act on it. 5G IoT devices could run troubleshooting and even basic repairs without workers needing to be physically present. With these advantages, manufacturers could make service a far more efficient process, reducing downtime and saving money.

Automated Guided Vehicles

5G networks in cities could finally make self-driving cars a reality, thanks to its speed, bandwidth, and low latency. Manufacturers can take advantage of this benefit before municipalities, enabling more automated guided vehicles (AGVs) in their facilities. Some factories already use AGVs, but Wi-Fi can’t support too many of them, limiting their usefulness.

With 5G in manufacturing facilities, it would be possible to run an entire fleet of AGVs. Numbers aside, the lower latency these vehicles have, the better since any network disruptions could hinder their navigation. If these are to work safely alongside people, they need a reliable network.

Despite their efficiency and safety benefits, AGVs haven’t seen high adoption rates in manufacturing. Nonmanufacturing environments have deployed more than 12 times as many AGVs as manufacturers as of 2018. The onset of 5G networks could make these technologies viable for more facilities.

Operational Flexibility

Flexibility is becoming increasingly critical for manufacturers, but the industry is historically inflexible. Today’s market expects on-demand, personalized service, and products, which requires manufacturers to adapt quickly to changes. Since cellular connectivity enables further automation, it leads to greater flexibility, thanks to higher efficiency.

Automation predates 5G by decades, but 5G makes it more reliable and efficient. Its benefits in maintenance, communication, and accessibility enable manufacturers to use more robots and efficiently. As a result, facilities can move toward a more on-demand model, cutting down on in-house inventory, enabling flexibility.

Without sitting inventory, facilities could adjust their operations without much disruption, which is crucial in today’s digital world. Since 5G would also allow manufacturers to run all machinery on a wireless network, they could issue updates far faster. Today, automated machinery is notoriously inflexible, but the connectivity benefits of 5G could change that.

New Cellular Networks Enable and Improve Industry 4.0

The shift toward Industry 4.0 is already taking place, despite the lack of 5G networks. Without these new cellular connections, though, manufacturers won’t be able to push Industry 4.0 to its fullest potential. Today’s systems are too slow, unreliable, and limited to handle the scale of IoT devices that manufacturers need.

5G in manufacturing will help the industry move past the IoT and into the IoE. When everything in a facility can run on a single network and do so reliably, manufacturers will become safer, more efficient, and more profitable. The 5G IoT will help the industry become what it needs to be to meet the modern world’s demands.

Widespread 5G networks are still several years off from becoming a reality. When they do become available, they could revolutionize the manufacturing industry.

Image Credit: panumas nikhomk; pexels

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IoT has potential in nearly every conceivable sector. As new technology spurs IoT growth across both commercial and industrial markets, the possibilities of this interconnectivity become increasingly evident. The organizations that see the most development in the coming years will be those that leverage this advancement. Here is the right IoT ecosystem that creates an optimized smart warehouse.

While many companies already use the IoT, not all take full advantage of it. A lot of companies have been slow to adopt the IoT in their warehouse operations. However, careful and thoughtful integration can create an optimized smart warehouse of the future.

Smart Warehouse Benefits

As the demand for faster, more reliable shipping grows, warehouses must adapt to meet higher standards. Traditional tools and techniques can only get logistics companies so far. If businesses are to stay competitive, they’ll have to move towards smart warehouses.

The most obvious benefit of a connected warehouse is increased efficiency. Devices like sensors and radio frequency identification (RFID) tags allow workers to locate products almost instantly. Insights from data gathered from IoT devices can help companies see where and how they could streamline processes.

Smart warehouses also offer safety benefits. The IoT enables increased automation, which reduces the risk of human error leading to injury. Sensors on heavy machinery can track integrity to warn workers if the equipment is in danger of malfunctioning.

A smart warehouse generates a lot more data than its traditional counterparts. Companies can assess this information to track products throughout the delivery process or monitor their quality. These data points can also offer insight into how to improve operations.

Despite 72% of warehouse executives looking to increase their IoT implementation, smart warehouses remain few and far between. While they provide competitive advantages, smart warehouses are an intimidating prospect to many companies. A few considerable speedbumps stand between logistics and widespread IoT adoption.

While the benefits of IoT devices are evident, where and how to apply them may not be. Similarly, concerns over compatibility and cost hinder many businesses from diving headfirst into complex IoT ecosystems. However, with careful consideration and planning, organizations can overcome these challenges and create smart warehouses.

Where to Implement IoT Devices

There’s no shortage of areas where companies can apply the IoT in warehouses. This abundance is undoubtedly an advantage, but also raises a few concerns, especially for businesses unfamiliar with IoT implementation. Companies can’t always integrate the IoT into all warehouse processes, so they have to determine what areas are the most advantageous.

IoT devices are more beneficial in some sectors than others. To optimize warehouses, companies need to be thoughtful about where they implement these technologies. Careless adoption may still provide useful data, but it won’t give businesses the highest return on investment.

The three main advantages of smart warehouses can serve as a guide for IoT integration. Different applications provide benefits in various areas of improvement. Whether a company wants to prioritize efficiency, safety, or data gathering will inform where to apply devices.

For Efficiency

To determine how to use the IoT to improve efficiency, warehouses can look to where mistakes occur. More often than not, inventory mismanagement is the most notable factor hindering warehouses. To address this issue, companies can use IoT technology in shelving and the packages themselves.

Most warehouses already use barcodes to track items, but RFID tags can store more data. RFID readers are also typically faster than barcode scanners, allowing workers to sort through inventory faster. Swapping barcodes for an RFID system would improve efficiency without much cost or hassle.

Warehouses can use sensors and weight measurements on shelves in conjunction with RFID tags. These sensors would improve the organization, which allows workers to find or store products faster. However, storage isn’t the only area where warehouses can use the IoT to increase efficiency.

IoT devices in building controls like HVAC systems could improve energy efficiency. These systems can automatically adjust to optimize usage, an option that’s particularly ideal for companies with limited spending ability.

For Safety

The IoT has two main areas where it can improve safety — automation and wearables. As more facilities see employees working side-by-side with collaborative machines, companies need to be sure robots are protecting humans, not endangering them. Safety in this regard depends mainly on a machine’s environmental awareness.

Devices like self-driving pallet jacks need to recognize their environment to avoid running into things. IoT sensors can help them see where obstacles are, and more importantly, if a human is in their way. Amazon uses this technology to help their robots identify workers and ensure their automation is safe.

Wearable IoT devices can improve safety by monitoring employee health factors. DHL uses wearables to track workers’ fatigue and suggest when they should take a break. These gadgets also alert employees if they’re near moving machinery.

Wearables protect employees’ long-term health while IoT-enabled robots protect their immediate safety. These two applications alone can substantially decrease workplace injury.

For Data Gathering

Not all data is created equal. The accuracy of analytic software depends not just on the quantity of available information, but the quality. Optimized IoT ecosystems gather data from the most relevant and informative sources.

The beauty of the IoT is that data collection comes as a perk with any application. The IoT devices warehouses use to improve performance also allow them to track efficiency numbers. Similarly, they can gather health and safety information from their wearables. The applications for these purposes produce the best data for monitoring them.

For big-picture logistics data, it helps to have IoT sensors throughout the supply chain. Sensors that monitor factors like light, temperature, movement, and humidity are ideal for tracking product quality in the shipping process. These IoT applications are often the most valuable for gathering supply chain data.

System Flexibility

One of the most significant barriers preventing smart warehouse adoption is concerns over compatibility. Successful IoT implementation relies on everything being able to work together. Issues in this area arise out of companies trying to use single-purpose solutions over an integrated approach.

Systems from various third-party vendors may not be compatible with one another. Before purchasing any IoT technology, warehouses need to ensure the new devices can function on the same system as their current devices. Businesses also need to consider scalability and backward compatibility.

Warehouses will get the most out of IoT systems if they’re compatible with legacy devices. Otherwise, new equipment across the board would be necessary, which can be costly. Businesses also need to ensure their systems are flexible enough so that they can incorporate new technology as it comes out.

Managing Costs

Without careful planning, creating a smart warehouse can be expensive. While investment in flexible IoT technology will pay off, companies shouldn’t go bankrupt trying to adopt as many applications as possible. The best way to build smart warehouses is to do so over time.

Businesses should start by implementing IoT devices in the most profitable areas before moving on to others. Taking a slower approach to integration not only saves money but also allows companies to learn how best to use these technologies. More time to adjust to new systems means less risk of more extensive, costly errors.

Developing a flexible system also helps manage costs. If a network is compatible with legacy devices, warehouses won’t have to worry about paying out for new, expensive equipment. Smart warehouses should save businesses money, so companies should consider costs when moving forward with them.

Warehouse 4.0 — The Future of Business Operations

The warehouse of the future, Warehouse 4.0, is one that is fully connected. Every process is trackable and controllable through a centralized network. This vision is impossible without the Internet of Things. By designing flexible, cost-efficient systems, businesses can create a more efficient and safer warehouse. With the rapid expansion of the IoT, these spaces are more of a reality than some companies realize.

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Machine vision joins machine learning in a set of tools that gives consumer- and commercial-level hardware unprecedented abilities to observe and interpret their environment. In an industrial setting, these technologies, plus automation and higher-speed networking, add up to a new industrial revolution — Industry 4.0. They also offer brand-new ways to conduct low-waste, high-efficiency industrial activities.

Now that it’s coming into its own, companies everywhere are exploring the benefits that machine vision brings.

Machine vision affects manufacturing, drilling, and mining. Further benefits are found in freight and supply chain management, quality assurance, material handling, security, and a variety of other processes and verticals.

Machine vision is going to be everywhere before long, adding a critical layer of intelligence to the Internet of Things buildouts in the industrial world. Here’s a look at how companies are already putting it to work.

What Is Machine Vision?

Machine vision is a set of technologies that gives machines greater awareness of their surroundings. It facilitates higher-order image recognition and decision-making based on that awareness.

To take advantage of machine vision, a piece of industrial equipment uses high-fidelity cameras to capture digital images of the environment, or a workpiece. The images can be taken in an automated guided vehicle (AGV) or a robotic inspection station. From there, machine vision uses extremely sophisticated pattern recognition algorithms to make a judgment about its position, identity, or condition.

In manual inspections, achieving the proper lighting is a critical factor when it comes to getting the machine vision right.

Several lighting sources are common in machine vision applications, including LEDs, quartz halogen, metal halide, xenon, and traditional fluorescent lighting. If part of a barcode or workpiece is shadowed, the reading might deliver an error when there isn’t one, or vice versa.

Machine vision combines sophisticated hardware and software to allow machines to observe and react to outside stimuli in new and beneficial ways.

How Does Machine Vision Support Businesses and the Industrial IoT?

The proliferation of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices marks an important moment in technological advancement. IIoT gives businesses unprecedented visibility of their operations from top to bottom. Networked sensors and cloud-based enterprise and resource planning hubs provide two-way data mobility between local and remote assets, as well as business partners.

The two-way mobility can be something as small as a mechanical piston or bearing. It can also be as large as a fleet of trucks, can yield valuable operational data with the right IoT hardware and software. Businesses can have their eyes everywhere, even when they’re strapped for resources or labor.

The Internet of Things, first and foremost, represents ubiquitous computing.

Where does machine vision fit into all this? Machine vision makes existing IoT assets even more powerful and better able to deliver value and efficiency. We can expect it to create some brand-new opportunities.

• Makes sensors even more useful.

  Machine vision makes sensors throughout the IoT even more powerful and useful. Instead of providing raw data, sensors deliver a level of interpretation and abstraction that can be used in decision-making or further automation.

• Reduces bandwidth requirements.

  Machine vision may help reduce the bandwidth requirements of large-scale IoT buildouts. Compared with capturing images and data at the source and sending it to servers for analysis, machine vision typically performs its research at the source of the data. Modern industry generates millions of data points, but a great deal of it can yield actionable insights without requiring transmission to a secondary location, thanks to machine vision and edge computing.

• Supports IoT automation solutions.

  Machine vision complements IoT automation technologies extremely well. Robotic inspection stations can work more quickly and accurately than human QA employees, and they immediately surface relevant data for decision-makers when defects and exceptions are detected.

• Improves robot and cobot safety and usefulness.

  Guidance systems built with machine vision give robots and cobots greater autonomy and pathfinding abilities, and help them work faster and more safely alongside human workers. In warehouses and other settings with a high risk of error, machine vision helps robotic order pickers improve response time and limit fulfillment defects that result in lost business.

• Makes assets more aware of each other.

  Today’s and tomorrow’s economy requires companies and industries that operate while wasting far less time, material, and labor. Machine vision will continue to make drones, material handling equipment, unmanned vehicles and pallet trucks, manufacturing lines, and inspection stations better able to exchange detailed and valuable data with the rest of the network.

  In a factory setting, it means machines and people working in better harmony with fewer bottlenecks, overruns, and other disruptions.

How Are Businesses Applying Machine Vision?

When you think about each of the steps involved in a typical industrial process, it’s not hard to see each point where machine vision can improve operations.

To manufacture a single automotive part, humans and machines collaborate to source raw materials, appraise their quality, transport them to a plant for processing, and move the items through the facility at each manufacturing stage. Ultimately, they see it successfully through the QA process and then out the door again, where at least one last leg of its journey awaits. At some later time, the retailer or end-user receives it.

Whether this product is at rest, in transit, or not even assembled yet, machine vision provides a way to automate the handling of it. It improves efficiency in every department, such as assembly, and maintains higher and more consistent quality levels.

Companies are already adding machine vision to their workflows out in the real world.

Some applications are as simple as placing a line on a warehouse floor for an unmanned vehicle to follow safely. Other machine vision tools are even more sophisticated, although even the simplest examples can be game-changers.

Some of the most exciting examples of machine vision in the industrial world involve tasks once thought difficult or impossible to outsource to robots. As mentioned, picking from bins in warehouses is a process that’s inherently risky when it comes to errors. Mistakes in fulfillment cost goodwill and customers.

Given that product damage, item location, and slight variations in SKU are some of the biggest sources of error in this area, machine learning for bin picking is a natural fit.

There are already nearly 100% autonomous order-picking robots available today, which can navigate safely, inspect parts and products in the bin, make the right pick using a manipulator arm, and transport the pick to a staging or packaging area.

Ultimately, this means companies are at a far lesser risk of shipping damaged goods or incorrect SKUs that look similar to, but don’t quite match, the one the customer ordered.

Automating quality assurance and inspections is another aspect of machine vision and the IoT that’s gaining popularity very quickly.

In some modern manufacturing settings, it can help employers automate and improve results from the QA process, even without sacrificing human jobs. Instead, automated inspection stations tackle this high-priority work while employees learn more cognitively demanding skills.

Cobots will likely achieve a 34% share of all robotics sales by 2025. This is due in large part to improvements in machine vision and the drive to eliminate as much inefficiency, inaccuracy, and waste from the modern industry as possible.

Machine Vision and the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Expect machine vision to continue to evolve in the coming years and contribute further to Industry 4.0, which many call the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Eyes are already trained on newer, lower-cost products featuring embedded and board-level image processing with machine vision capabilities.

Machine vision capabilities will lead to even more widespread adoption of the IoT and machine vision and new ways for businesses to capitalize on digital intelligence.

Featured Image Credit: HAHN Group, CC BY-SA

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The worldwide demand for folding cartons is increasing, and with this increase comes the need for further innovation within the industry. Market demands are driving technological advances in folding cartons, reshaping the market to fit new trends. Consumer preferences are always evolving. Expectations have changed. Here are five trends reshaping the folding carton industry.

New technology and evolving consumer and market needs are trends reshaping the folding carton industry. From the need to meet environmental standards, fight counterfeit products, create eye-catching products.

Much is to be done to prevent contamination and integrate with broad technological trends, folding cartons are changing everything from production processes to materials used.

The desire for environmentally-friendly services and products continues to grow at the same time that new regulations are put into place to avoid counterfeit products. These challenges, as well as changes to printing techniques and industry requirements, create an ever-evolving landscape for folding cartons.

Internet of All Things — Smart Packaging

Traditional folding cartons are also seeing the impact of broader technological trends, such as the “Internet of Things” (IoT). Industries as diverse as transportation, healthcare, and public utilities are investing in this growing trend, and an astonishing 94% of businesses implementing IoT’s into their business have seen ROI.

Embedding digital technology into packaging allows for a variety of innovations that would have been unimaginable even ten years ago. Asset management, product tracking, quality control, and direct communication with customers can all be a part of folding cartons in the future.

Placing sensors into products and packaging can help aggregate information, providing never before seen data sets to help create more effective industry strategies. Beverage companies, for example, are capable of embedding digital content into their packaging to offer services and provide product information.

Anti-Counterfeit and Security Measures

Counterfeit products account for a large amount of the global black market. Scammers and criminals can mimic designs and packaging to deceive consumers and retard growth for legitimate business. Advances in the folding carton industry are catching up with counterfeiters and adding a layer of security to the global markets.

An area of growing concern is the pharmaceutical market. Concerns about product tampering throughout the supply chain, as well as counterfeiting of products, has led to the implementation of stricter global regulations in the form of the EU Falsified Medicines Directive 2011/62/EU.

This directive regulates the manufacturing, importing, and wholesale distribution of medicinal products within the EU, and has impacts for package makers throughout the supply chain.

Folding cartons now see demand for innovations such as 2D data matrix codes, tamper evidence fixtures, and potentially RFID technology. RFID labels are capable of first-open sensors that interface with smart technology, recording information such as temperature recordings and whether or not the package was opened.

Embedding anti-counterfeit and security measures into the folding carton process will continue to be a growing area of need.

Environmentally Friendly Packaging

Globally, markets are adopting more environmentally friendly techniques and products. Consumer demands are shifting in many areas, which require an evolution in the way folding cartons are developed and distributed. This evolution has most directly impacted the materials used for folding cartons.

Pressure from brands and consumers is leading to more eco-friendly carton materials. One of the most innovative trends comes in the form of non-wood pulp materials. Manufacturers are leaning into raw materials such as cocoa beans, hazelnuts and edamame beans as a substitute for conventional materials. Hot melt adhesives used to join packaging materials are likewise made from biodegradable and recyclable material.

One industry seeing a significant change is the beverage market, which accounts for 23.0% of the carton shipments, or 1.11 million tons (see: keystoneparts.com). The market has moved away dramatically from plastic packaging and towards renewable cardboards. Improvements in decorative carton-based multipacks see more environmentally-friendly solutions come to the fore.

Food Safety Advancements

Concerns of contaminants absorbing through packaging to food products and causing widespread food contamination is an increasing area of interest among food safety experts. The growing awareness of this issue is leading the folding carton process to adopt a range of safety options for the industry.

Improvements to the techniques applied during curtain coating and advancements in water-based coatings show that the industry is responding to these needs. The movement towards alternative packaging and away from expanded polystyrene is also serving this purpose.

The application of ink coatings during the printing process can create a well-designed, consumer-friendly product for the consumer. However, potential cross-contamination during this process, or from outer packaging, has been a growing concern. Evolving processes contain this issue using new technology, which provides a barrier to prevent contaminants from entering the food product.

Improved Printing and Decorating Techniques

While environmentally-friendly, contaminant-free and secure folding cartons serve a growing need, the end-user also requires an attractive, eye-catching product. Improvements to the folding carton industry have evolved in this area as well, particularly as new printing techniques emerge.

New printing technologies mean more colors and more finishes to meet consumer needs and better match brand identity. Digital printing in the form of laser and inkjet printers has improved to the point that the economics of the industry has changed. Higher quality graphics can now be produced at lower costs due to manufacturing advancements.

Special features such as hot foil stamping and registered embossing can also be included at lower costs when manufacturing folding cartons. This is now done without expensive tooling costs during short-runs. The result is a better quality product at an economical price, opening up folding cartons as an option of short-run products.

The evolution of these new techniques and features opens up new markets for the folding carton industry. Short-run projects mean that smaller producers, such as artisanal food providers, craft beers, distillers, and craft products, are now viable markets for folding cartons.

Reshaping Folding Cartons for Years to Come

The growth of technology will continue to evolve the way folding cartons are created and used. The need to keep us with evolving trends will change the market. Consumer expectations, unexpected technological advancements and continually shifting regulatory standards will shape folding cartons in the coming years.

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The Internet of Things (IoT) promises increased visibility and control for the entire supply chain. Meaning, that visibility and control will cover the cold chain logistics, too. Through real-time data, IoT will allow for faster and more relevant reactions as well as much more informed decisions. The problem, however, is that most IoT platforms are not considered to be ready for primetime. IoT will transform cold chain logistics forever.

Cold chain providers are still utilizing conventional technologies like onboard temperature recorders.

Gartner’s Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies report posits that IoT is still another five to 10 years away from maturity. Although these solutions have been used for years and even decades, there are some glaring issues. For instance, onboard systems tend to provide alerts only after a problem has occurred.

It then becomes a matter of reacting and fixing a real issue, rather than deploying preventive maintenance to head these events off at the pass. That might be suitable for traditional supply chain operations, but in the cold chain, where proper temperatures and conditions must be maintained continuously. If the cold chain is not maintained, it can lead to compromised goods.

Reaction times must be near-instant, which means any problems that arise must be remedied quickly and efficiently. It requires constant vigilance in the form of strategic monitoring all along the cold chain. That’s precisely where IoT can provide the most benefits: through active and real-time reporting. Industry 4.0 is a massive part of that, as the industry evolves thanks to improved data exchange and automation efficiency.

The Importance of Cold Chain Visibility

Rightfully described as “the hidden lifeline of the modern world,” the cold chain is necessary to distribute certain perishable and fresh goods. In order to prevent food and item loss, as well as to stop the spread of foodborne illness, it’s necessary to establish a transparent and visible operation. In the cold chain, this requirement is more important than ever.

Suppliers must be able to identify potential errors or contamination points, and there must be tools and systems in place to take action.

Meat that has been exposed to warm or room temperatures — when it’s meant to remain frozen — should be pulled immediately before even reaching store shelves. If any units do reach the end of the line, it’s just as important to be able to track their whereabouts and remove them from public access.

Going even further, if the goods are sold, then the proper warnings need to go out to customers. None of this can happen without the appropriate visibility mechanics in place. The IoT does more than offer this control — it also improves visibility control considerably.

The technology offers a boost in food safety compliance, logistics efficiency and monitoring, data analytics, and much more.

Information is flowing in at any given time, which can be used to analyze various conditions or events and respond accordingly. An alarming 40 percent of the nation’s food is lost during the journey from field to fork. The kind of real-time visibility that IoT offers can be used to reduce this problem, if not eliminate it outright.

IoT sensors can be used to monitor temperatures for various foods and goods.

When temperatures shift outside of a healthy range, alerts are sent to the necessary players. If the goods are stored in a warehouse, property managers can either deal with potential refrigeration problems or relocate the goods to preserve them. If the products are on a transport vehicle when the alerts come in, the driver can deal with the problem sooner.

IoT can give radio for support and shift the goods to another, more suitable vehicle. The critical point is that these events are set into motion almost as soon as a problem is identified, further mitigating the potential for contamination or spoilage and leaving the opportunity for higher profits by reducing the loss of product.

The pharmaceutical industry has a similar problem. About 20 percent of drugs or temperature-sensitive products are ruined.

Because of cold chain errors and malfunctions, much of the pharmaceutical industry has product loss. When there is an unknown — unmonitored product — this loss is often felt by the pharmacy that is delivering the product to you. You may argue that proper monitoring is more crucial for drugs and medical supplies, as they are often limited in quantity. Pharmaceutical must reach their destinations in a suitable amount of time. Doctors and patients are often waiting for these supplies.

The best part is that the IoT can be outfitted to work with a variety of existing devices and hardware, including legacy systems.

For example, several different types of industrial chillers, from air-cooled to water-cooled, can be outfitted with IoT upgrades. An essential consideration for getting the maximum value out of a chiller which might last for 20 years or more. Water-cooled units, for example, can be outfitted with sensors that monitor and report the cooling system temperatures alongside internal refrigerator temps.

Comparatively, water temperatures aren’t necessary to know with air-cooled units so that that particular system can be customized accordingly.

IoT hardware and sensors are incredibly versatile and capable of outputting highly relevant data streams. In the end, the IoT offers a massive increase in visibility and transparency. That alone has the potential to vastly transform the state of cold chain logistics and operations. Some of the most common problems in the general supply chain stem from a lack of visibility or relevant information.

IoT Can Enable and Enhance Automation

To automate a process or operation, you need robust streams of data available about what’s happening, what specific events and actions will lead to, and how a system should respond. AI and machine learning, in particular, are all about incoming streams of information, real-time being the best possible type. Machine learning uses this data to learn over time as it ingests more and more experiential stats and content.

IoT can enable automation in this way by providing more pertinent streams of data about performance, trends, and experiences. It’s cyclical in nature, as logistics can be improved considerably with the help of AI, while AI is fed data thanks to IoT.

Opportunity through predictive modeling and analytics.

With enough information and the right tools — AI being the prime example — data can be compiled into predictive visualizations. It allows for teams to react before events happen, as opposed to during or after. More importantly, predictive models can help discern the outcome for various decisions or events, which can shape long-term operations. If you know something isn’t going to work out thanks to predictive modeling; you can choose an alternate, more successful approach.

In the cold chain, predictive modeling can be used to assess and plan for market demands and various other situations. A shortage of a particular food or supply, for example, can be scheduled for weeks, if not months, in advance.

IoT Has the Potential to Change Cold Chain Logistics Forever

Mature or not, bringing IoT into the cold chain can help introduce a variety of benefits, from increased efficiency to greater transparency and visibility.

As a result, this nets cold chain players more control over what’s happening with specific goods. Imagine being able to react in real-time to transport issues, refrigeration problems in a warehouse, or even remote issues a partner is having. The robust and streamlined information that IoT sensors and devices offer will help to transform the current state of cold chain logistics.

The end goal is to reduce contamination, prevent the spread of foodborne illness, improve customer experiences through fresh, high-quality goods, and, of course, lower associated waste and risk costs.

Temperature, climate, and humidity control are all ongoing processes that must be continually monitored throughout the scope of any operation. You cannot suddenly allow goods to be exposed to lower temperatures because of a system or hardware malfunction.

It’s evident that not responding soon enough to certain events can have dire consequences. IoT paves the way for real-time and preventive measures, even introducing the potential for predictive solutions. If that’s not enough to get you on board with the idea of using the technology, there’s not much else that will.

The post How IoT Will Transform Cold Chain Logistics Forever appeared first on ReadWrite.

The Internet of Things is growing, becoming part of nearly every industry in the world. Many people have IoT devices in their homes already — Amazon Echo, smart appliances, and similar devices. One place where IoT is surprisingly lacking is in the logistics and distribution industry. Is it time to implement IoT in the warehouse? What can supervisors and business owners do to implement this technology as part of their daily operations?

What Is IoT?

First, what is the Internet of Things? If you ask 10 IT professionals, you’ll get 10 different answers, but for the average user, the Internet of Things is a series of machines and equipment that can communicate with one another. They can gather information, receive information, send it out, or both. Your DVR, smart fridge, and Google Home are all IoT devices.

These devices are supposed to make your life easier. You can use a smart fridge to let you know when your food is about to spoil, or an Amazon Echo to play music or reorder something from Amazon. In the manufacturing industry, IoT takes these abilities to a whole new level.

Industrial IoT

Industrial IoT is making the lives of individuals in the manufacturing industry easier and more efficient than ever before. Pieces of a production chain can communicate with each other, streamlining the manufacturing process. While even IoT-enabled machines need maintenance, each part of the chain can monitor itself and the equipment around it through attached sensors, alerting maintenance staff to problems before they cause the machine to fail.

Supervisors and team members can monitor production in real time, through those same sensors, and catch any hiccups or problems with quality control before they make it through to the packing and shipping department.

While this sounds ideal for the manufacturing industry, how can IoT help those in logistics and distribution?

Types of Warehouse IoT

What kinds of IoT can we expect to see in warehouses in the future, as supervisors decide to adopt IoT in their facilities?

Autonomous picking robots are already starting to make their way into the industry. Amazon purchased robotics startup Kiva Systems in 2012, and since then, has deployed more than 30,000 picking bots in their distribution centers. Statistics show that 55% of your warehouse labor burden comes from picking. Collaborative robots, or cobots, like these will work alongside a human workforce, rather than replacing them to improve picking efficiency.

Autonomous vehicles are also making their way into warehouses, in the form of automatic guided vehicles or AGVs. Imagine a pallet jack that doesn’t require an operator. Instead, it can move to a specific location, pick up the pallet automatically and relocate it safely and efficiently, freeing up team members to complete other tasks. The programming of specialized AGVs could allow them to work with a variety of containers of different sizes and shapes to reduce the risk of lifting-related on-the-job injuries.

Warehouse management systems, either cloud-based or in-house, can be tied into an IoT system, allowing the computer to keep track of inventory location and movement in real time. From there, a supervisor or team leader can get a sense of the floor’s productivity and efficiency with a few keystrokes instead of spending hours reading reports.

Some of the industrial IoT applications could apply for use in warehouses as well. Any piece of machinery in the warehouse, equipped with those same sensors we mentioned a moment ago, could monitor its health and alert maintenance staff if there’s a problem. Attaching RFID sensors to inventory could allow the IoT system to track inventory movements.

The possibilities are endless, so why haven’t logistics and distribution companies started adopting these new technologies?

Slow Adoption

There are a few hurdles that might stand in the way of IoT in the logistics and distribution industry. The largest of these is the cost of initial implementation. The equipment, training, and new crew necessary to add these new devices to a warehouse is expensive, to say the least, which might leave it out of reach for smaller logistics companies.

There is also the threat of micromanagement. While efficiency is critical in these settings, there’s a fine line between using technology to make the job more efficient and using it to micromanage the entire process.

Amazon earned the ire of its consumers when it released plans to make wearable trackers mandatory for its picking teams. The retail giant claimed they would only use these devices to collect information about productivity on the warehouse floor, but it’s a slippery slope. Collecting information could quickly turn into micromanagement, alienating employees and damaging efficiency. Some experts even called these devices an affront to workers’ rights.

Finally, there is the problem of system vulnerability. Any networked system is vulnerable to attack, which could put protected customer or client information at risk. Even if you keep your entire network in-house if someone accesses it from their home office, that opens a door for savvy hackers to slip inside. You should address this problem before introducing any new IoT technologies to a warehouse.

Benefits of IoT in the Warehouse

What are some of the potential benefits of implementing IoT in warehouses?

The first major benefit is in the form of inventory management. RFID or Bluetooth trackers can keep track of inventory in real time, from the moment it enters the warehouse to the moment it ships out. If something is running low, an IoT system can alert management, or in some cases, even place an order from a supplier on its own.

Efficiency is the most significant benefit of IoT in this setting. Mobile computers, connected to the warehouse management system, enable team members to complete their job from anywhere without having to return to a stationary computer, interrupting their workflow.

Using IoT in picking and packaging can help reduce mistakes, preventing orders from being shipped to the wrong customer. It can also cut theft-related losses, either in-house or in transit, by keeping a close digital eye on everything that comes in or out of the warehouse. That could be extremely beneficial for companies that work with high-dollar items like electronics or jewelry.

IoT can also make it easier to engage with customers. Since you’ve got an eagle-eye view of your inventory, you can integrate this information into your website. If a customer is interested in ordering a phone, for example, they’re more likely to make their purchase if they know there is one in stock, rather than placing the order and receiving a “your product is out of stock and back-ordered until (date)” email after they thought they had finalized their purchase.

Adopting IoT

How can managers and business owners start the process and get IoT set up in their facilities?

Start by getting everyone on board. This change is going to affect everyone, so you don’t want to start introducing major technology without informing everyone involved.

Next, start talking to some IoT experts. You won’t want to attempt this transition without assistance or advanced preparation. There are plenty of experts out there for you to choose from, so find someone who is compatible and aligned with your company’s culture and goals.

Make your changes slowly. If you try to do everything at once, and your system hasn’t perfectly synced, it could trigger a cascade failure and take your entire warehouse offline while you scramble to fix it. Implement one piece at a time, and once you’re sure that works, move on to the next part.

In the meantime, offer new training for your employees, and hire some IT and IoT experts to keep on staff to maintain the system once it’s in place.

Finally, make sure you maintain the system. Once you’ve had it installed, you can’t merely sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Here is where your IT team comes in. The IoT devices may need some little tweaks or adjustments to make sure they’re operating at optimum levels.

Embracing Innovation Will Move the Industry Forward

Warehouses and the logistics industry as a whole have been slow to adopt the Internet of Things, but a change is coming. While these machines won’t ever entirely replace a human workforce, as more commerce becomes digital, these companies will need to adapt to keep up or get left behind as the world changes without them.

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GPS and location data allows you to track items, people, and even shipments. At any given time, you can see where something is, how long it might take to reach a particular destination, and also how fast it’s traveling.

On a consumer level, the information is relatively limited. You can see a phone’s — and by proxy a person’s — whereabouts.

You can find a lost item using a GPS tag. You can even get real-time driving directions to a new location. But in the enterprise, and with the right tools, GPS data can reveal so much more. Consider fleet management operations, for instance, which suddenly become much more comfortable and more efficient thanks to location services.

The ability to monitor your fleets whereabouts — in real-time — means so much more than just knowing where they are or what they’re doing. You can more accurately plan their routes, including detours to avoid traffic or events. You can mitigate travel and transport costs by finding much faster routes. You can even optimize plans by choosing the right driver for the right task. Maybe one drives better on country roads yet does terrible in urban areas, for example.

Combine the information with advanced analytics and logistics platforms, and you can tap into more accurate, predictive insights. But what does this have to do with the supply chain? The answer is everything.

GPS Tracking Is More Advanced Than Ever

Gone are the days where you must use a proprietary or handheld display to monitor location data. Instead, you can use something you have on you at all times — your smartphone. In turn, this means that you can also access the necessary systems and information from anywhere, anytime.

It’s still possible to access GPS systems from a conventional desktop computer or work-based terminal, but you now have the added option of mobile. Mobile support has revolutionized everything, especially regarding supply chain operations. Decisions must be made on a dime, with absolute accuracy and reliability.

Thanks to mobile, executives and management teams can issue orders exactly when needed, no matter what they’re doing or where they are themselves. All of this productivity “given” to management can be tied together by a robust series of field service and location-tracking software. This software leads directly to greater operational efficiencies and lowers associated costs.

A whopping 95 percent of businesses claim to have seen a noticeable improvement in their technician’s punctuality after adopting field service tools with built-in GPS tracking capability. A further 90 percent saw a boost in the number of work orders completed on time.

What Are the Benefits?

GPS and location service tools are powerful, that much is true. The real focus, however, should be on the vast number of benefits the technology can offer.

1. Improved Fleet Management.

As previously discussed, it’s possible to manage your fleet in real time via location data. Think of it as a direct line of communication, where you can make adjustments to improve efficiencies, arrival times, and more.

2. Increased Driver Safety and Performance.

Until self-driving and autonomous vehicles are used as a primary source of transport, the core of responsibility still falls on human drivers. It also means their safety, performance, and behaviors are paramount to a successful business. If a driver falls asleep at the wheel, veers off the road, and causes a massive accident, it’s going to be costly for your business. Goods will be lost, the company’s reputation will be tarnished, and both equipment and resources will be damaged.

A constant tracker encourages drivers to be safe and responsible, and when they’re not, you’ll have the opportunity to remind them. You can also create a loyalty system that incentivizes good driving because you have more oversight as to who’s driving well or poorly.

3. Better Security.

In transportation, distribution, and logistics, there’s a lot at stake. If a vehicle, whole shipment, or even part of a shipment is stolen, the losses amount to more than just material items and their value. Your business’ reputation suffers, your customers and clients lose money, and in some cases, your drivers or personnel may even be in danger.

Advanced GPS systems can be used to monitor your fleet and so much more. They can also be programmed to send alerts when something strange is going on, which gives you ample time to check in with a driver or take action if something is wrong. The faster you react to a potential threat or attack, the less damage you take.

4. Enhanced Operational Efficiency.

For the most part, modern GPS systems and their related software tools are heavily automated. You don’t have to monitor them constantly — instead, you’ll receive notifications when something requires your attention. This setup eliminates the need to hover over all operations constantly but at the same time affords direct micro-management opportunities that are more informed and stated.

This technology improves efficiency and experiences for the drivers too. They can see information about their routes, such as congestion areas, accidents, and detour sites. It’s an essential tool for optimizing the way they drive.

Additionally, less administrative resources are needed, as the vehicle-tracking tools provide precisely what information and stats office workers would be tasked with reporting.

5. Boosted Customer Service.

Of course, increased efficiency, faster arrival times, and safe driving habits all contribute to improved customer service. When it comes to deliveries, they’re always on time, maybe even faster. When it comes to providing clients with information about their shipments, you have more control and can report more as well — including accurate delivery schedules.

You can also enable new solutions. A freight courier, for instance, could locate a particular shipment and allow antsy clients to pick it up, on the move, by meeting the driver somewhere. You can also identify incorrectly shipped or stowed packages and make faster decisions, like swapping couriers or destinations as necessary.

6. More Detailed Cost Analysis.

Fuel costs can be incredible, especially with today’s prices, so it’s essential to mitigate the use of company vehicles to cut down on consumption. You don’t want drivers taking their work or business vehicle out for a personal trip, for instance. When they’re on the open road, you also want them to make the most efficient route possible to reduce the amount of fuel they use and cut down on refueling costs along the way.

GPS and vehicle-tracking tools can help you do precisely this. You can monitor bad habits, fuel mileage, and costs and make adjustments to meet specific goals. Want a driver to fuel up as little as possible? Calculate exactly how much fuel is needed for a trip, and communicate with your driver about how they’re keeping to said goal along the route, making minor adjustments in real-time.

7. Ultimate Transparency.

More control and oversight and more information will mean increased transparency across the entire operation. You know precisely what your drivers are doing, where they are, where shipments and goods are located and what the outcomes of each system will be — not just with transport, but throughout the entire supply chain. When this information is coupled with something like blockchain technology, you can monitor everything starting at the source, all the way until the goods are handed off to a partner or customer and beyond.

This data can be shared with your customers and clients as needed too. Some may want to know that you’re sourcing from environmentally friendly suppliers, or they may want to monitor the quality of your goods. It’s all connected from head to toe.

Give Your Business a Boost.

In transportation and logistics — anything related to the supply chain, really — GPS technology and location-tracking tools are an absolute must. The technology provides a vast number of benefits beyond just more informed reporting tools. It has the potential to transform your entire operations, improving efficiencies, lowering costs, and affording more guarantees.

One of those guarantees, for instance, is that you know exactly where a fleet or shipment is at a given time. You also know how long it’s going to take to reach a particular destination, and that’s true whether it’s being transported via roadways, water, or conveyor belts.

The post What are the Benefits of GPS Tracking in the Supply Chain? appeared first on ReadWrite.

As your business accumulates more and more data, it becomes increasingly difficult to sift through the information for relevant insights. Even with advanced tools at your disposal, such as AI or machine learning, there’s a massive influx of information to take in. It becomes necessary to organize the evidence into larger datasets you can view at a glance, which is exactly where data visualization comes into play.

Data visualization — is a general term that denotes a process used to better understand troves of data in a visual context. Various patterns, trends, insights and correlations can be gleaned and recognized much easier and faster. It’s achieved primarily through special tools or data visualization software.

Although incredibly old, this infographic provides a look at data visualization in action. It’s ingenious, really, breaking down data visualization in exactly the kind of visual format it calls for.

As a whole, data visualization has advanced considerably over the past few years. Instead of simple charts or graphs, the cases and laws can be used to create highly sophisticated displays like infographics, sparklines (small graphics for quick representation of a number), heat maps, geographic maps, fever charts, and a variety of graphs.

The data visualization process not only makes data more understandable, but it also makes big data applications easier to work with.

Data Is the Spice of (Business) Life

According to Experian, 95 percent of U.S. organizations use data to power business opportunities, while 84 percent believe data is an integral part of their operations and business strategies.

Being so integral to operations, it makes sense then that the data should be organized in practical, accurate ways that allow for easier consumption. But beyond that, what are the benefits of a solid data visualization strategy? What can it do for a business? Here are nine examples.

1. Visualized Data Can Be Processed Faster

The human brain is designed to process visual content and information at a much faster rate than text. In fact, researchers from the Pennsylvania School of Medicine discovered the retina is capable of transmitting data at around 10 million bits per second. Since the retina is technically part of the human brain, it means that we — as a species — can take in visual information much faster and more effectively.

This faster rate leads not just to faster ingestion and processing, but to faster action, as well. If you can discern insights at a faster rate, you can react to what’s happening in the real-world time much more rapidly, too. Taking that a step further, you can use the incoming data to make more predictive decisions.

2. Visualization Can Reveal Hidden or Missed Opportunities

The more eyes you have on a set of data, the more useful it is. More importantly, you can discover insights and trends that would have otherwise been missed or hidden. Some data — especially the actionable kind — is most useful to the people way down in the trenches. Because they’re working with a particular process, customer, or tool every day, they are better equipped to find problems or pain points that can be improved upon. Your every day user can utilize the incoming data to improve their own performance or work habits; incredibly invaluable in any business environment.

The visualization process can naturally make complex and sophisticated data stores easy to read even for the layman. These visual and artistic renderings make it easier to present to people who wouldn’t understand the raw data such as executives and c-suite managers.

3. Visualization Increases Productivity

Taking raw or rough data sets and making them more readable at a glance can help improve productivity across the board, not just for data scientists and analysts. You will be boosting the productivity and helping anyone and everyone who is going to have eyes on that information.

Even better, the data can be scoured in shorter time frames, revealing insights much faster. In fact, Aberdeen found that organizations who use visual data discovery tools are 28 percent more likely to find timely information than those who don’t. Again, this results in faster reaction times and more robust points of opportunity.

4. It Improves Data Veracity

Data is of no use to anyone if it’s not accurate or reliable. Trustworthy information is especially important in certain industries such as healthcare, marketing, and even construction. Having the wrong data can be highly detrimental. In the case of medicine — for example — it can even cost lives. That’s where data veracity comes into play, one of the five major “V’s” of data.

Visualization plays a role because it can help analysts and data managers dive deeper into the repository’s of information (stores). This results not just in new opportunities and insights, but also more accurate representations of what’s included within a dataset. Before you can process, clean, and organize large stores of data, you must be able to understand it in full. Visualization simply helps this happen on a larger scale and at a much faster rate.

5. You Can Monetize Your Data

It’s pretty obvious that, over time, you’ll build up an incredibly large store of data and information. Much of this storage of data you may believe has no use for you. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean your data storage needs to sit on a hard drive or server collecting digital dust. Instead, you can monetize the data you have available by creating more useful forms of visual content.

You already have the data available — you’re likely sitting on a huge goldmine. Why not monetize this “data gold” to extract its true value and roll that back into your business?

• It only takes five simple steps to create a sellable product from your data stores.
• Take your time organizing your data and conducting research.
• Then determine a price and finalize your product.
• Data visualization can open up opportunities, thus presenting new markets right within your own company.

Your stores of information will simply allows you to share the content and information with parties that would otherwise have no use for raw data. Think: whole new customer base.

6. Improved Business Operations and Customer Insights

Two key data points needed to run a successful business are the performance of your operations and relevant customer insights. With performance data, you can ensure your entire organization is running smoothly from top to bottom, and you can even make adjustments to improve output. With customer insights, you are better equipped to give your audience what they need in regards to your services and products.

Both concepts are remarkably simple, yet collecting the necessary data and making sense of it is not so trivial. Data visualization can help keep the data understandable by highlighting new connections as they occur between business operations, performance, and customer sentiment.

For instance, you may get information sooner about a particular product or campaign not working out. In turn, that allows you to adjust accordingly, armed with detailed insights about what will help.

7. Better Interactions and Innovative Presentations

Conventional, one-dimensional tables and paper-based charts are good for one thing and one thing only: looking. You have the chart or visual in front of you, and all you can do is read it — good or bad.

With data visualizations, however, a much more interactive and dynamic experience is involved. You can present datasets in new and exciting ways. More importantly, you can include interactive components that allow viewers to manipulate and engage with the information in real-time. “Why Do Buses Bunch” is an excellent example of an interactive and entertaining visualization. It makes the data itself more memorable and easier to retain for those participating in the experience.

8. Deeper Customization

You can only present a conventional chart or graph in so many ways. But with data visualization, you gain access to a wide variety of options — many of which include their own customizable elements. Even when using the same datasets, you can create two remarkably different visualizations depending on the type, methods, and visuals you use.

This is a small part of what helps unlock hidden insights and potential. You can take information and look at it in new, fresh ways well beyond anything that would be possible through conventional means.

9. Unlock Better Collaboration

Because visualizations are easier to read and understand, that means more people can get involved in the analytical processes. More importantly, having access to the dynamic and active systems used in data visualization means much better opportunities for collaboration. You can get more of the team involved, and you can work more efficiently alongside others using data visualization software.

Empowering Your Teams

In the end, data visualization — like any other form of data process — involves diving deeper into the information and data stores you have at your disposal. It’s not just about making the information more readable and presentable to analysts and higher-ups; it’s about empowering your entire organization. Suddenly, you can present and share content with your entire workforce, even those who would otherwise not be able to understand the data in its raw form.

Knowing all this, you can see why data visualization as a whole is highly beneficial and important to the success of your operation.

The post The Business Benefits of Visualizing Your Data appeared first on ReadWrite.

As Industry 4.0 sweeps across the supply chain, it’s clear it will have a significant impact on everyone involved. Still, the question is how so?

Industry 4.0 and Supply Chain

As you’d expect from a name such as Industry 4.0, profound and revolutionary changes are coming to various industries, including manufacturing, development, and the modern supply chain.

Rightfully dubbed the fourth industrial revolution, hence the 4.0 in the moniker, it entails a sweeping trend of improved data exchange and automation efficiency for a newly digitized landscape.

Industry 3.0 was the widespread adoption and rollout of automated technologies. not the least of which is advanced robotics and programmable logic controllers. Toward the end of this era, better and more efficient automation systems were introduced and now, players are using modern smart devices and data to improve and optimize the systems.

Broken down into simpler terms, the third industrial revolution saw the adoption of computers and more modern technologies. The fourth revolution is about putting the data those platforms are collecting to use. AI, machine learning and highly advanced analytics platforms will collect real-time data from IoT sensors and machinery to enhance general operations. This idea of contextual monitoring and data flow is instrumental to the foundation of Industry 4.0.

This will have a huge impact on manufacturers and goods suppliers. It will also affect every party and process involved in the modern supply chain, as well.

Innovative Insights

Big data, machine learning, and more impactful analytics tools can only mean one thing: an ever-growing library of innovative insights. These insights will be leveraged in new and exciting ways — including the supply chain. In the supply chain management this system is eliminating more archaic processes and updating them to be streamlined, more successful, and more nimble. The next-gen supply chain, or the next logical leap forward is how the industry will operate.

Digital data and content is at the heart of this process. Data can, for instance, be used throughout the supply chain to identify inefficiencies and problems in logistics, transport, and even goods distribution. Machine learning and AI can further take this information and extract repeatable trends and insights.

A full 66 percent of supply chain leaders stated that over the next two to three years, advanced supply chain analytics will be “critically important” to their operations.

Improved Transparency, Decreased Linearity

Conventional supply chain has a waterfall effect. Each party or solution along the chain has an effect on everything else — referred to as a “chain.” Manufacturers rely on suppliers for a variety of goods and items, which they use to assemble their products. Distributors and retailers rely on said manufacturers to produce and deliver the products. Any and all information tends to flow in one direction.

The inefficiency occurs when one party along the chain has an issue or a problem. This problem then compounds and continues to cascade down the “chain” to everyone else involved. This process can have dastardly consequences. If a supplier runs out of an item or good, then the manufacturer has to postpone production to find a suitable alternative. The ever waiting retailers at the end of the chain are then left with a depleted inventory or stock.

Thanks to Industry 4.0 and the introduction of smarter, more informative processes and devices, this will change considerably. The so-called digital supply chain offers huge improvements in transparency and visibility. This process can now completely shift the once-linear nature of the industry to something more modular. Suddenly, those involved are no longer part of a cascading chain of events and processes. Each can serve as more of an individual point or node along a network.

A manufacturer, for example, can see the supply shortage coming and take appropriate action. This leave greater decision capability for the waiting manufacturer. They can quickly find an alternative or come up with a new solution — dampening the impact of the break in the chain.

Stronger Relationships and Collaboration

The improved transparency also contributes to stronger, longer-lasting relationships all along the supply chain.

Companies can build even greater trust and support from their customers by opening up their processes and sharing how operations are handled. Many consumers today care about the environmental and economic impact businesses have on the world around them. In some cases, people will outright refuse to do business with an environmentally damaging entity.

It goes well beyond just the end-consumer, though. It also impacts relations with parties, organizations and other teams involved in the supply chain. Look at the food and beverage industry, where it’s incredibly easy to damage or contaminate foods. Merely storing a type of food at an inappropriate temperature can lead to problems. With smart systems and data, however, suppliers, distributors, and retailers alike can all remain informed and aware of what’s happening with the goods as they flow from party to party.

Each person can pinpoint exactly where things went wrong and what’s causing the contamination or damage. This also allows them to take appropriate action and build trust between one another, even under stressful conditions.

Industry 4.0 certainly has the potential to significantly improve communication and collaboration within the supply chain.

Lower Transaction and Operating Costs

The smarter, more involved systems and insights mean parties can take action to identify problems and weaknesses sooner. Over time, they can regularly improve existing operations to become more streamlined and effective. This has the effect of lowering associated costs.

In the supply chain, big data platforms will also contribute to lower transaction fees, higher productivity and just better systems all around. Big Data can be leveraged in many ways to identify and discover new areas of efficiency. Finances specifically can be helped by big data and highlights major indirect expenditures and costs. By reducing indirect spending, companies can save over 25 percent of their overall expenses.

It’s really a win-win for the entire industry, as well as everyone involved along the supply network. Accenture estimates that early IoT adopters, or the first-wave, will see a 30 percent increase in productivity, along with an additional 30 percent drop in maintenance costs. Just imagine the impact this will have on cost savings for most organizations.

Industry 4.0 Breeds Opportunity

The introduction of smarter, more detailed devices and systems also means teams will be collecting more disparate forms of information. This may seem almost insurmountable, especially when you consider how much data will be flowing in across a supply network, but that’s where AI and machine learning solutions come into play. With the right digital tools and platforms, such processes can be almost entirely automated while improving accuracy well beyond anything humanly possible in the past.

This system illuminates the great potential for new opportunities and strategies. With the improved and more accurate insights, increased transparency, stronger collaboration, and reduced costs, parties along the supply chain have more room to experiment and branch out. This encourages the adoption of fresh, exciting new strategies and methods that would otherwise never be explored.

For example, 3D printing allows for mass customization where manufacturers can build products on-demand, made to order, and with incredibly complex personalization options. A setup such as this is only possible through the use of modern, smart, and data-oriented technologies like online and mobile ordering and IoT-enabled production systems.

It’s safe to say that the future of the supply chain is blindingly bright, thanks in large part to the adoption of Industry 4.0.

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Smart cities can add value not just through money saved by efficient operations but also through the added benefits for citizens and local businesses by adding great design.

Let’s change the design — and build a city.

The key to building truly “smart” and efficient cities of the future is improving not just infrastructure — but the general makeup of its entire foundation. This includes concepts like energy and resource management, traffic and productivity, public services, active culture, and education.

Design doesn’t just mean IoT enabled sensors.

It’s so much more than just deploying a few IoT-enabled sensors at major intersections or switching to renewable energy sources. These few “extras” are definitely needed on a broad scale. It’s all of these things merged to create a well-oiled, highly efficient machine.

Energy generation and consumption, for example, once two separate concepts combine and directly influence one another. That’s not to say they weren’t connected before. The future shows these systems must interface intelligently.

Renewable energy.

Renewable energy sources, for example, might cut back on generation when consumption levels fall and then scale up during the seasons where usage is high again.

Is everything — smart?

Like you see with a modern smart home, smart cities will be able to sync up, communicate and transmit data between all the systems and processes.

What about water?

Public water systems might recognize there’s a drought and water restriction in effect. The cut back on the use of water through things like irrigation and water fountains causes reductions we don’t want to deal with.

Uptick in crime areas.

A data reporting system might notice an uptick in crime in a particular area and essentially reroute law enforcement patrols there.

But how does this influence the overall value of a city? Will “smart” technologies add billions to a city’s overhead, or will the costs simply even things out? And at what stage should the integration and deployment of such technologies start?

It All Begins With an Idea

Before any of this can come to pass — all the what-ifs and potential use cases of “smart” technologies — we must first start with the core or initial concept. What is a “smart city” really and what technologies or improvements make it so?

Each city is inherently different.

It might seem that bustling people, loads of businesses, and traffic all crammed into a central location is virtually the same everywhere, but that’s not the case.

For starters, making a city “smart” means incorporating everything about it into a single connected system or platform.

That includes industry, which is remarkably different for each area. Industry in San Francisco, is wholly different than industry in New York City. And the same thing can be said for the infrastructure of each location.

Facts highlight the need to consider, plan and incorporate “smart” technologies into the design of each city.

This is difficult to accomplish with the cities or sprawling areas that already exist. It’s not as if you can just snap your fingers and start from scratch. You’re working with a city that is already thriving, already operational and already filled to the brim with people, businesses, and traffic.

So how do you incorporate these technologies into a design stage when that phase happened years ago?

It’s simple. That initial idea? The core concept you must start with? It relates directly to the current makeup of an urban center. You must come up with a seamless, formulated strategy that works to unite and enhance the entire cities.

There is no room for silos here. Thinking of the city must become as a comprehensive whole. This helps prevent some of the issues that might otherwise come along with implementing modern technologies. The change have to be at the core of a city’s operations.

But how do you connect everything within a city? How do you connect modern industry to the residential dwellings and areas? How do you sync up traffic and infrastructure with public services?

Smart technologies.

Improved Efficiency and Performance Add Value

Economically, smart city tech can add precise incremental growth rates. The studies show growths of five percent and over $20 trillion in financial gains — over just the next decade. But the value added is so much more than just a monetary benefit.

Los Angeles loses an insane $19.2 billion per year to time wasted from traffic congestion on its roadways, while New York City loses $33.7 billion annually — or $2,982 per driver.

Those are just costs associated with inefficiencies in roadways and traffic. Imagine if we included the impact of energy consumption, general waste handling and removal, and the like?

Urban regions consume anywhere between 67 percent and 76 percent of global energy. Great, but they produce three-quarters of global carbon emissions as a result.

Studies show that with the proper planning, that energy use can be cut by as much as 50 percent.

Smart technologies can be used to unite and simplify these systems through automation. More importantly, they can deliver various enhancements regarding operation, outcomes, and future strategies.

Simple — the home thermostat.

Look at something as simple as a smart home thermostat, for instance. The idea is that homeowners install them in place of their existing air and heating system thermostats.

Over time, the device will measure their habits and usage and optimize its performance based on the data it collects. By simply programming a smart thermostat, homeowners can save an average of $180 a year.

Not only do they save money, smart thermostats cut down on frequent temperature and air changes. This small change is aimed at lowering energy usage. Furthermore, the device could shut off when there is no one home and then turn back on when the homeowner leaves work.

Do the big, grand-scale improvements work?

But something like this rolled out on a grand scale — across an entire city could make sweeping improvements. This is a general operation and consumption of resources — but, what does it cost in the first place? It adds considerable value, just in the enhancement of modern operations alone.

How Do We Make This Happen?

The strange thing about modern “smart” technologies is that they aren’t necessarily designed with conventional concepts in mind. You’re not developing or deploying technologies to improve “tech” or devices per se. Instead, there’s a human aspect to it all.

Do the planners think of the people?

When designing a smart city, focusing on the citizens and people that live within its boundaries is vital. Planners must think about, for instance, what can be done to improve their daily lives, commutes, and experiences.

Focus on business.

That is precisely how we make this happen, and how we make it work. By focusing on local businesses and the general populace. In turn, this would include a new leadership model as well to promote continued innovation on a government level.

This governance and operation model must include the voices,  and experiences of everyone. These opinions must be within the boundaries of a city — not just certain demographics.

This extends even to the technologies and platforms adopted, which must also remain open. These designs need to be modular to accommodate future solutions. Avoiding the situation we’re currently in has to be considered — where tech quickly becomes outdated.

What Technologies Are Involved?

When discussing a smarter, more efficient city the first metrics that come to mind are power consumption. Consider transportation and infrastructure, waste management and clean water as well as future development.

What technologies will be used to improve these industries — and do they exist?

Does the current form of upgrade have needed innovation necessary?

Smart transportation technologies and systems are a great place to start. It’s an area where, with proper implementation, cities can see a vast and quick return on investment. Identifying stretches of congestion and parking issues can help improve efficiency considerably.

Parking.

Smart parking systems could, for instance, let drivers know when and where there is an open spot in the area. This could save time, cuts down on fuel consumption and helps alleviate traffic in the area.

At Disney — who else?

At Disney Springs in Orlando, Florida, the company introduced innovative parking technologies within their garages. Each parking space in the garage has a simple indicator that is red for taken and green for free. At the end of each row, a display tells drivers how many spaces are open within each row.

But all of these technologies means new, useful data flowing in which can be leveraged by the appropriate parties. Even data collected by streetlights can help benefit a smart city.

How do we garner the needed insights?

Embedded within “are valuable insights and information about how citizens interact with cities.” Susanne Says Susanne Seitinger, Ph.D. from Philips Lighting professional systems says.

“For instance, traffic data captured by streetlights can uncover a prime location for a new restaurant in a revitalized neighborhood.

Predictive analytics helps cities filter and translate data into relevant and actionable information. We must make city life better, easier, and more productive.”

Sensors embedded within existing infrastructure can collect a vast trove of information.

Imagine a sensor installed within the pavement that measures how often vehicles are passing an intersection or segment of the road.

Even the smart technologies that will power better and more efficient manufacturing and development — seem to fit into the idea of “smart” city growth.

Factories and manufacturing plants are primary contributors to environmental waste and energy usage. By improving their operations and cutting down on their resource consumption, the number of benefits grows.

Everything Is Connected

But the biggest challenge, of course, is syncing up so many different industries, platforms, and regions within a city. Critically, what sort of platform will power the data processing and transfer between all these areas?

AI and machine learning.

Luckily, AI and machine learning are really coming into their own in the current landscape and will most certainly help power the smart cities of the future. Machine learning is already being used to inform and improve traffic in places like San Jose, California, and Dallas, Texas.

Also referred to as “neural networks,” these AI technologies use cognitive learning to become more efficient over time.

They do so through the constant influx of data and information they receive, which they then process and put to use directly by the system in question.

One deep learning machine, for instance, taught itself to play chess in just 72 hours by analyzing existing game patterns and experiences. It can now play at international master levels, competing with some of the greatest players in existence.

This shows the true power of the technology and how it can learn, over time, patterns and trends within a city. At this point we can then identify areas for potential improvement. These technologies can also be used to power automated systems — like the smart parking system Disney incorporated.

How Long Until Smart Cities Arrive?

 To be blunt, modern “smart” cities are already here or on the way. Many of these technologies are already being experimented with and deployed and will no doubt be improved over time. They are not so advanced that somewhere like New York. Some information can be used to achieve automation on a grand scale.

The driverless vehicles.

Technologies like driverless vehicles for public transportation helps green and renewable energy system development. The smarter more informed traffic technologies are all being rolled out. Great news for us — the citizens of these cities.

It’s up to us — city inhabitants and the businesses we run.

We must push policymakers and city officials to adopt these technologies sooner rather than later. With any luck, we’ll all be living in these smarter, more efficient cities. We must make the future — instead of merely looking and hoping for it.

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