Logistics & transport in 2022
7 Ways the internet of things is changing transport
The Internet of things describes physical objects that are embedded with sensors, processing ability, software, and other technologies that connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the Internet or other communications networks. But what does this mean for the Transport & Logistics Industry of 2022?
Fleet Management
The first use case of IoT in transportation and logistics is fleet
management. Thanks to sensors and devices embedded in the vehicles we can
gather information about condition of the vehicle, the amount of fuel or driver
behaviour.
Monitoring the condition of important parts of vehicles like tire
pressure, coolant level and so on can minimize the number of unexpected
failures. Having real-time access to these data makes maintenance a lot easier
and more effective.
Internet of Things solutions in transportation can also be used to
describe drivers’ behaviour. You can get access to information about the
speed of a vehicle, time between stops or even driving habits (how the driver
is using breaks etc.).
These data can help you teach your drivers how to drive more efficiently
and use less fuel.
Another way to use IoT in logistics is by installing sensors and devices
responsible for maintaining the right temperature and humidity conditions
within the truck. It’s extremely important when transporting foods and
medicines. Internet of Things gives us the advantage not only based on the
real-time knowledge on the situation. Many devices control and correct the
situation when it’s not meeting the standards.
Inventory and Warehouse Management
Another IoT
solution in logistics is Warehouse Management System (WMS) or Inventory
Management System. Implementing this type of solution will improve the overall
warehouse performance.
It’s extremely
important to manage the warehouse space efficiently to make the delivery of
goods fast and easy. Moreover, using smart systems can also help you optimize
your space and locate packages in the most optimal place.
Installing smart sensors
in the warehouse can be a great way to automatically create orders when there’s
little supply left. This can be a good way to manage limited space in the
warehouse.
Supply Chain Management
Before product
gets to its destination, it goes through a whole process of shipment. When
millions of different goods are changing its locations at the same time, it’s
difficult to manage them efficiently. Thanks to IoT sensors the whole process
can be much more effective and error resistant.
IoT solutions
in logistics can give real-time data on the location of goods, identify whether
there was a theft, or the shipment has been delayed.
From a sales point, it’s crucial to have access to the highly demanded products that sale quickly. Using Internet of Things in supply chain management can help manage demand and plan the amount of goods being produced, ordered, and shipped efficiently. The whole process can be optimized to minimize costs and maximize profit.
Track and Trace
Making sure the goods are in the right trucks, on the way to the right warehouses etc. is crucial in transportation and logistics. It also takes a lot of time and resources and is very error prone.
IoT sensors like RFID (radio-frequency identification) or AIDC (automatic identification and data capture) are great methods to track your goods and manage them properly.
RFID uses radio waves to determine the position of goods based on implemented microchips. These tags can transport information not only about what the product is and where it is but also where it’s supposed to be shipped etc.
The biggest advantage of RFID over traditional scanning is that it is being done wirelessly. Moreover, data can be transported onto the database in real-time. So, you can have access to information from anywhere.
Predictive Maintenance
Machines are the key to every warehouse and every logistic centre. That’s why predictive maintenance has become more and more popular. The regular way of maintenance planning is by the age of a machinery. It has been proven to not be an effective way since most of errors happens randomly.
Machine Learning allows searching for patterns and repetitive scenarios to predict issues. It collects previous and real-time data and processes them to identify possible future errors.
Predictive maintenance is a great way of using IoT in logistics. It helps to maintain the right condition of all devices and systems.
Customer Order and Delivery Tracking
As mentioned before, products tracking is an extremely important IoT solution in logistics. But it’s not only for company’s satisfaction. Internet of Things can be also a great form of improving customer service and manage delivery process.
Thanks to IoT not only company but also a customer can have real-time access to information about their order since the moment their purchase the product.
Moreover, some companies use sensors in their products to automatically reorder the product when there’s little of it left. It’s extremely convenient for customers and beneficial for company.
Alternative Distribution Methods
Internet of Things we’re surrounded with today is only a small portion of what it’s going to be like in the next few years. Right now, we’re focusing on implementing different type of sensors. They help us manage the whole logistics process more efficiently and cost-effectively.
However, in the near future the same sensors can be a huge part of autonomous distribution. Whether it’s only within a warehouse or globally.
Companies are testing using drones as a delivery method. It’s only a part of what it will be like in the future.
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