WATCH

Virtual and Augmented Reality ( VR / AR ) technology can help organizations to visualize and simulate supply chain operations , improving decision-making and reducing errors

Top companies : ScienceSoft , ScaleXM , PTC , Lucid Reality Labs , Groove Jones , Spatial

AR can create virtual stockrooms for organisations by projecting holographic products onto shelves . Employees can check specifications like colour and size without accessing a physical product , and make an informed decision when placing an order , so saving organisations store room space and money on unwanted products .

AI , meanwhile , can help with many aspects of supply chain , including procurement , where it helps with process efficiencies . Typically , firms have a system that records employee expenditure , which requires sifting through various files to retrieve data . AI can use big data analytics to do this for you , and recommend certain products , meaning this part of the buying process becomes automated .

WATCH

Autonomous vehicles , such as drones and self-driving trucks , can reduce costs and improve delivery times by reducing human error and optimizing routes

Top companies : TuSimple , Embark Trucks , Starsky Robotics , Uber Freight , Volvo Autonomous Solutions , Waymo

Uber Freight recently deployed Volvo ’ s autonomous transport solution on selected routes , starting in Texas . The solution is also designed to ease strained global supply chains and is a sign of things to come .

Through the integration of vehicle-tovehicle comms and radar-based collision avoidance systems fleets of trucks will soon be commonly driven in ‘ platoons ’, using aerodynamics to save fuel . Platoons are managed by cloud-based network that connect trucks through mobile comms and Wi-Fi . Cloud-based supervision limits platoons to specified roads in safe driving conditions .

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