TECHNOLOGY
IoT : THE EYES AND EARS OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Widespread IoT technology would revolutionise SCM , but as pioneers have discovered , you have to run before you can walk
WRITTEN BY : RHYS THOMAS
Every emerging technology follows a familiar trajectory , an inverted bell curve of sorts . The breakthrough draws an initial wave of excitement and hype , followed by a period of heightened anticipation , before quickly dropping off when experimental pilot schemes struggle , and the reality falls short of the promise . Once use cases have been proven and the technology matures , the hype rapidly picks up once more , but it is here , at the nadir of the technology lifecycle , where the story of Internet of Things ( IoT ) technology and its application in supply chain currently sits .
IoT refers to a rapidly growing network of connected devices and objects which capture and relay data such as temperature or location in real time . Smart speakers and wifi-connected home appliances are common examples in the consumer market , and the technology is on the precipice of widespread adoption throughout the world ’ s interlinked supply chains , as RFID chips . mobile sensors , and more .
According to Gartner , IoT is at the bottom of the Trough of Disillusionment , the low point preceding broad application as an industry-standard technology . Mike Burkett , analyst and Research VP at the Gartner Supply Chain Practice , says that although companies are increasingly investing in the technology , and implementing it , “ they struggle to define the best opportunities for using its measurement and tracking capabilities ”.
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