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5 Innovations in Manufacturing Processes and Their Effect on the Bottom Line

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5 Innovations in Manufacturing Processes and Their Effect on the Bottom Line

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Manufacturing is a rapidly evolving industry. With a broad spectrum of sectors depending on manufacturing, modern facilities are often quick to adopt new technology that improves on their existing processes.

The rise of automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and data have created a wave of digital transformation. As manufacturing grows and becomes increasingly competitive, capitalizing on Industry 4.0 innovations can determine whether or not a company will succeed.

Here’s a look at five of these innovations and how they affect the bottom line.

1. Cobots

Robots aren’t new in the manufacturing industry. But as automation has grown, new approaches and technologies have emerged that can take its benefits further. Collaborative robots, or cobots, are one of the most significant of these upgrades to factory automation.

In a 2021 study, 44.9% of surveyed businesses said that robots are an integral part of their operations. Of those companies, 34.9% had adopted cobots. Cobots have slowly become more popular as manufacturers have realized the limits of traditional automation. Other robotic solutions are expensive and inflexible, making it difficult to scale, but not cobots.

Since cobots work alongside humans instead of replacing them, they typically automate fewer processes at once. Consequently, they’re often more affordable than traditional automation and easier to implement. Manufacturers can then automate one process at a time, slowly scaling up to meet demand or new challenges.

This incremental approach to automation removes the high upfront costs and disruptions of traditional automation. As a result, cobots enable manufacturers, especially smaller businesses, to scale up and down with ease. These companies can then enjoy quicker, higher ROIs.

2. IoT Sensors

Another growing innovation in manufacturing is the implementation of internet of things (IoT) sensors. While these technologies aren’t a manufacturing-specific phenomenon, they hold considerable potential in this sector. Perhaps their most popular and impressive use case is predictive maintenance.

Predictive maintenance improves on traditional maintenance schedules by avoiding both breakdowns and unnecessary repairs. According to a Deloitte report, it reduces maintenance costs by 25% on average. That’s an impressive figure on its own, but it also reduces breakdowns by an average of 70%.

Considering that an hour of downtime costs more than $100,000 in 98% of organizations, that adds up to considerable savings. Predictive maintenance isn’t the only application of IoT sensors in manufacturing, either.

Manufacturers can also use these sensors to gather data points throughout their operations. This data can then reveal areas of potential improvement, enabling ongoing optimization. The longer manufacturers use these technologies, the more they can save through them.

3. Additive Manufacturing

One recent innovation that is specific to manufacturing is 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing. While this technology is most well known as a tool for hobbyists, it originated as an industrial production technique. Recent advances have made it a more viable solution, leading to a comeback in industrial manufacturing.

Additive manufacturing lets manufacturers produce parts and products as a single piece instead of assembling multiple smaller components. Like mil-spec buffer tubes, which are made of a single piece of aluminum, this improves products’ strength and resiliency. As a result, they produce fewer defects, improving the company’s bottom line.

Since additive manufacturing adds material instead of cutting it away, it also reduces waste. Manufacturers can get more parts or products from the same amount of materials. 3D printers also typically work faster than traditional production techniques, leading to a quicker time to market.

Additive manufacturing is also more energy-efficient. Some products, like car batteries, require a lot of energy to handle the sensitive materials they need, leading to higher costs. By reducing energy consumption through additive manufacturing, facilities can increase their profit margins. Alternatively, they could reduce end prices, selling more with consistent profit margins.

4. 5G Connectivity

Like the IoT, 5G isn’t strictly a manufacturing technology, but it has impressive potential for the sector. 5G networks aren’t widespread enough yet to bring substantial improvements to the consumer sector, but they’re ideal for manufacturing facilities. Their higher bandwidth, increased speeds and lower latency let smart manufacturing reach its full height.

5G networks can theoretically support up to one million devices per square kilometer, ten times 4G’s limits. That will allow manufacturers to expand their IoT infrastructure to virtually every machine in the facility. Lower latencies will allow these interconnected systems to communicate more efficiently and reliably, unlocking Industry 4.0’s potential.

With all of these machines connected to one another, manufacturers could create cohesive autonomous environments. If a disruption occurs in one process, machines down the line could know and adapt to it, minimizing its impact. As a result, manufacturers could maintain higher productivity levels, minimizing their losses from lost time.

5G lets manufacturers use technologies like the IoT and automation to their full extent. This leads to higher ROIs for these significant investments.

5. Machine Vision Error Detection

AI has many use cases in manufacturing, but one of its most enticing is machine vision. Machine vision systems let manufacturers automate quality control processes at both the front and back end of production lines. This automation, in turn, improves the efficiency and accuracy of their error detection.

When Heineken installed a machine vision quality control system in its Marseille, France bottling plant, it highlighted this technology’s benefits. The facility’s bottling machine operates at 22 bottles per second, far too fast for human workers to spot any bottle defects without stopping it. The machine vision system, on the other hand, can analyze bottles at speed with a 0% error rate.

Machine vision error detection lets manufacturers increase production while maintaining the same level of quality. Since these systems deliver a level of consistency impossible for a human, they’re also more accurate. As a result, facilities will also produce fewer defects.

Fewer defects translate into less waste, and faster checking enables increased output. These factors combined result in an improved bottom line.

New Technologies Make Manufacturing More Profitable

These five technologies aren’t the only ones pushing manufacturing forward, but they are among the most notable. As more facilities embrace these innovations, manufacturing is becoming a more profitable industry.

Technologies like these improve efficiency, minimize errors, optimize operations and more. Manufacturers that can capitalize on them early will ensure their future success, and those that don’t may quickly fall behind.

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Semiconductor Memory Market to Have a Promising Future Ahead

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The semiconductor memory market will witness considerable expansion driven by the higher adoption of memory and storage components in moveable medical devices and healthcare equipment. These intelligent point-of-care devices include glucose, heart rate, continuous temperature, and pulse oximeter monitors and are used to store real-time diagnostic data, which can be later easily derived from the semiconductor memory. This information not only assists in analyzing the disease source but also renders early treatment and diagnosis of the targeted diseases.

On this note, it has been reported that the global semiconductor memory market size will reach over USD 180 billion in annual remuneration by 2027.

Below are the key trends likely to influence the industry expansion

Rising preference for MRAM semiconductor memories

Magneto-resistive Random-access Memory (MRAM) semiconductor memory industry is pegged to see a CAGR of nearly 15% in the analysis timeframe. This is mainly ascribing to the non-volatility, low power consumption, higher durability, faster read/write cycles, and enhanced data storage capacities for extended durations of the MRAM devices. This has pushed leading business participants to come up with MRAM chipsets for use in consumer electronics applications. To quote an instance, Samsung Electronics, in March 2019, launched the eMRAM, deployed with 28FDS process technology to offer higher performance and endurance in applications of embedded systems.

Expanding industrial application scope

Demand for semiconductor memories in industrial applications accounted for around 10% of the overall market share in 2020. This is owing to the incessant requirement for semiconductor memory chipsets across numerous industrial components. The rise in the number of smart factories in South Korea, Germany, China, and the U.S. has bolstered the adoption of IIoT devices, robotics, and automation equipment. According to the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the number of registered smart factories in Korea reached 19,799 in 2020. This penetration will add a positive edge to the intake of semiconductor memory solutions in the industrial sector.

Europe to emerge as a key producer

The semiconductor memory industry share in Europe is poised to expand at a 5% CAGR up to 2027 driven by the increased automotive production and the prominent presence of leading automotive OEMs in the region. The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association estimated that Europe produced close to 15.8 million passenger vehicles in FY2019, accounting for nearly 21% of the total passenger vehicle production in the world.

Furthermore, semiconductor memories are widely integrated with in-vehicle communications, instrument clusters, navigation systems, telematics, among several other automotive electronics. This has paved the path for advanced automotive safety systems, including self-driving cars in the region.

Competitive business initiatives

Suppliers of different semiconductor memory types are working towards inorganic marketing strategies, like mergers and acquisitions to gain competitive advantages. For instance, SK Hynix, Inc., in October 2020, struck an acquisition deal with Intel Corporation to obtain its NAND memory and storage business for USD 9 billion. This acquisition is inclusive of Intel’s NAND component and wafer business as well as the Dalian NAND memory production facility from NAND SSD business Intel, which is in China.

Impact of COVID-19 crisis

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic tremendously affected the growth of the semiconductor memory market particularly in the first two quarters of 2020 owing to the imposition of severe nationwide lockdowns by several governments. This made way for supply chain disruptions as well as international trade barriers with regard to raw materials and components. However, the emergence of the work-from-home policies supported the demand for semiconductor memories amidst the pandemic given the growing sales of consumer electronic devices, like tablets, laptops, and smartphones.

Rising advancements in medical science and equipment have given rise to multiple opportunities for semiconductor memory manufacturers in integrating AI and IoT technologies. There is also an escalating need for telematics, in-vehicle infotainment systems, instrument clusters, and ADAS solutions in advanced automotive and connected cars. The increasing developments in Flash memory, such as 3D NAND Flash drives to enhance the transmission speed while reducing latency will further complement the industry expansion.

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Data Center Power Market: Top Trends Propelling the Industry Demand Through 2026

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According to a recent study from market research firm Graphical Research, the global data center power market size is set to register significant growth during the forecast timeframe. With the proliferation of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT), 5G, and cloud, the demand for data center power is likely to augment through the next five years. These advanced technologies are expected to be integrated into the systems used by manufacturing companies leading to growing pressure on the IT infrastructure.

The next-generation IT infrastructure is likely to adopt advanced power supply solutions that cope with these pressures. A growing inclination toward customized services is marking a new trend in the market, owing to which, service providers have been catering to the individual demands of the end-users.

The global data center demand has surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, with tremendous consumption of networks due to work from home requirements and higher viewership of OTT platforms. The following top seven trends are expected to accelerate the global data center power market outlook through 2026:


Emphasis toward cutting down energy consumption in America

Data centers consume more than 416 terawatts of power annually, which represents nearly 3% of the total electricity generated on a global scale. As per the Energy Technologies Area or ETA, more than 73 billion kWh were consumed by the U.S. during 2020.

This has brought into focus the need to minimize energy consumption across the region, generating demand for advanced solutions across the data center power market in North America. Power management in data centers can be achieved through the improvement of the flow of power distribution across ventilation systems, environmental control, UPS systems, and lighting.

Spiraling demand for OTT services across Canada and the U.S.

The North American data center power industry forecast is registering a high growth owing to the rising number of intelligent power managing solutions in the region. The popularity of OTT services across the US and Canada has been soaring since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, with soaring subscriptions across platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, Disney Hotstar, and Netflix.

Additionally, data-intensive businesses have been seeking to minimize greenhouse gas emissions and the PUE ratio, at the same time boosting power efficiency. With this aim in view, several industry participants have been developing smart UPS, intelligent PDUs, as well as battery monitoring equipment.

Digitalization across the North American healthcare industry

The data center power market applications in North America are segmented into healthcare, IT & telecom, BFSI, government, manufacturing, energy, and colocation end-users. Of these, the healthcare industry has been exhibiting a key impact on the market, with a higher need for data center services.

By 2026, the healthcare application segment will see considerable revenue generation, thanks to the growing utilization of digital data and higher emphasis on government standards. Government mandates, including the HIPAA standards, are being enforced in a more stringent manner to ensure higher productivity and efficiency of the healthcare industry.

Extensive adoption across European cabling infrastructure

The cabling infrastructure in European countries is slated for strong growth through the forecast timeline owing to the growing demand for reliable and effective equipment across data centers in the region. Cable management products and solutions are extensively utilized due to their simple, modular designs, and ease of installation. Leading manufacturers in the European data center power market are providing advanced cable management solutions with improved scalability, flexibility, and intelligence.

Growing requirement across Europe’s hyperscale data centers

Owing to the growing integration of advanced power storage devices across hyperscale data centers, the data center power industry share from the UPS segment accounted for a major portion of the total revenue share during 2019. Cloud service providers have particularly been expanding their presence throughout the region by developing mega data centers.

For example, in September 2020, Google LLC announced its plan to invest more than $3.3 billion towards the expansion of its data center footprint in Europe over the span of the next two years. Since hyperscale data centers involve the integration of a host of storage devices and servers, they require an uninterrupted power supply for ensuring continuous transmission and processing of data.

Growing demand for online banking across Asia

Asia Pacific has been witnessing a thriving BFSI sector seeking digital technologies, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Contactless payments, POS terminals, mobile wallets, and online banking, in general, are growing increasingly popular in the last few years.

For instance, in Japan, more than 24 million individuals utilized their smartphones at POS terminals to make payments during 2019. The rising concerns over data center downtime are fueling Asia Pacific data center power market forecast.

Increased internet penetration across APAC

The demand for seamless online video streaming has been escalating synchronously with the expanding internet penetration across Asian countries. The high data consumption rate by Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and Netflix users will translate to the focus toward the development of a robust data center infrastructure. T

The rapid adoption of 5G, IoT, AI, cloud computing, and other latest technologies across numerous data center construction projects is likely to power the APAC data center power market forecast.

ABB Group, Cisco Systems, Inc., Cummins, Inc., Legrand, Black Box Corporation, Vertiv Group Co., Siemens AG, and Cyber Power Systems, Inc. are some leading data center power solutions providers in the international market.

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An Exploration of Emerging Technologies for Facility Security

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Safety is a critical consideration for any workplace. Every business is subject to some amount of risk, and without proper precautions, companies could endanger employees or hinder their focus. While workplace safety isn’t a new concern, it is particularly prominent at the moment.

A 2020 poll revealed that only 65% of American workers feel completely satisfied with their physical safety at work. That figure is down 74% from the previous year and the lowest it’s been since 2001. Facilities must become more secure, and thankfully, new technologies provide a way forward.

While cybersecurity may get more press in conversations about security technology, recent advancements have pushed physical safety further, too. Here’s a closer look at some of the emerging technologies for facility security.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the most disruptive technologies across industries today. As of 2020, 50% of surveyed companies had implemented AI. While its most popular use cases are in optimizing business processes or automating routine tasks, it has significant potential in security.

Machine vision algorithms can scan CCTV footage to recognize when someone is carrying a weapon. They can then instantly alert security staff or other employees, enabling quick, effective action. Since AI typically works far faster than manual processes, its speed could potentially save lives.

Similarly, AI could analyze audio signals to detect nearby threats. Studies suggest that people report only 20% of heard gunfire, mostly from being unsure of the noise’s source. AI could recognize these threats faster and more accurately, leading to timelier warnings and emergency calls.

IoT

Another emerging technology that has seen use cases far beyond security is the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT sensors’ ability to gather and send information in real-time makes them an indispensable facility safety tool. These sensors can virtually extend security staff’s reach, letting them monitor areas without traveling to them.

Even implementing IoT connectivity in everyday objects can improve facility security. For example, IoT-connected smoke detectors could send alerts to employees’ phones when they detect a fire in the building. These devices could then connect to a facility’s smart locks, opening safe passages while blocking compromised areas.

IoT connectivity can also improve workplace safety through predictive maintenance. These systems can make predictions about needed upkeep 20% faster and with higher accuracy than traditional means. Facilities can use this to keep gates and other security systems in optimal condition.

Drones

Compared to AI and the IoT, drone technology hasn’t experienced widespread adoption among businesses. Most commercial applications are in research, but they’re seeing increasing use as security tools, too. Like IoT sensors, drones let security teams monitor areas remotely, with the added advantage of omnidirectional mobility.

Facilities can use drones to get a bird’s-eye view of the property, potentially spotting things they may otherwise miss. Drones’ maneuverability can give teams access to areas that would be inconvenient or unsafe for workers to reach, too. Since flying is faster than walking, they make surveying a facility more efficient as well as more thorough.

Autonomous Robots

Some facilities have moved beyond remote-controlled drones to implement autonomous security robots. While these solutions carry higher upfront costs than traditional drones, they push their productivity benefits further. Without the need to control a robot, security teams can focus on other duties as these machines patrol, accomplishing more without extra staff.

Autonomous security robots may sound like a distant goal, but they’re already in use. LaGuardia Airport deployed robotic security guards in 2018, becoming the first major American airport to do so.

Security robots often feature capabilities beyond recording footage and sensing potential threats. Some have built-in facial recognition technology to identify known or wanted criminals, alerting security staff when they find them. Others can communicate with employees or visitors to help them navigate safely through the facility.

Disguised Barriers

Not every emerging security technology is as eye-catching as a robot, and sometimes, that’s by design. Such is the case with disguised barriers, which look like ordinary furnishings but protect buildings from vehicle-related accidents. These solutions keep employees, property and visitors safe without compromising a business’s curb appeal.

New technologies let companies construct robust protective barriers in unassuming shapes and sizes. As a result, a structure that looks like an ordinary flower planter can stop a 7.5 metric ton vehicle moving at 40 mph. The strength of these barriers ensures everyone inside is safe, while their design improves morale and attracts customers.

Traditional crash barriers may appear intimidating or overly industrial. These structures could drive customers away or make the workplace feel less comfortable, lowering morale. Disguised barriers remove these negative side effects while maintaining protection.

Innovative Materials

Novel construction materials are one of the innovations behind disguised barriers, but that’s not their only use case. Newly discovered or lab-grown materials can offer far more strength in a lighter or more flexible package. For example, graphene is so strong that if it coated a spider’s web, it could catch a falling plane without breaking.

These materials vastly improve the resilience of gates, barriers and other protective measures. Similarly, flexible options like graphene can form protective clothing for security guards or other workers who may encounter physical hazards. As research in this area continues, materials will keep getting stronger and lighter simultaneously.

Biometrics

Biometric security isn’t necessarily new, but new technologies are pushing it forward. Fingerprint scanners have become far more affordable and reliable than they used to be, letting many facilities replace outdated keycard systems. Physical biometrics themselves are no longer the peak of access security as behavioral biometrics gains traction.

Biometrics identify patterns in human behavior to distinguish between people. While most of these systems analyze computer use patterns like keystrokes, some can measure physical behaviors like someone’s gait or speech. These actions are harder for someone to fake, protecting restricted access areas from fraud.

Behavioral biometrics hasn’t seen much use in physical security yet, but as technology develops, it could. These systems can bolster traditional methods like passcodes and keycards to maintain a high bar for security.

New Technology Can Make Facilities More Secure

Every workplace has hazards, whether people realize it or not. As criminals’ methods become more sophisticated, so too must the security systems that stop them. These new technologies represent the latest in safety innovation.

Many of these technologies are still in their early stages, but they’re growing quickly. Before long, they could define modern security, making workplaces safer in the face of rising threats.

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A Quick Guide On How IoT Is Revolutionizing The Fleet Management Industry

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Fleet management has been radically transformed by innovations such as smart devices and sensors in the digital age. The IoT-enabled future of the supply chain industry looks promising as more companies across the globe are embracing the technology.

Research predicts the revenue of the global IoT fleet management market will reach an estimated US$15,500 million by 2024. This is not surprising at all because the sector has achieved great strides by being tech-forward.

Key benefits of IoT in fleet management

Real-time vehicle monitoring

The use of IoT in fleet management allows efficient monitoring of the vehicles and associated assets. The two-way communication system records crucial data. It facilitates remote monitoring, allowing operators to track vehicle conditions and ensure driver safety through predictive maintenance and timely delivery of goods in proper condition.

Risk mitigation

Automation through IoT-driven sensors and smart transport systems helps mitigate risks. The system keeps you informed in real-time about any required changes in routes due to traffic congestions or adverse weather conditions.


Remote data management

With an IoT-driven solution, fleet operators have access to vehicle performance data that helps them make informed decisions quickly. Endpoints can be handled remotely, and real-time data is easily accessible over the cloud.

Impeccable customer service

Fleet management centers can integrate smart solutions with their existing ERP systems to optimize performance across all aspects of the business. It helps them drive superior customer experience through higher on-time delivery rates and reduced defect rates.

Cost optimization

The IoT technology helps freight and transportation businesses work more efficiently. Automation eliminates the need for time-consuming operations, and connected devices provide seamless connectivity. Tracking shipments in real-time helps logistics companies optimize costs without compromising customer service and driver safety.

Smart reporting

IoT-powered devices such as the digital tachograph make fleet management reporting intelligent. It records complete data concerning a vehicle’s utilization and shares it in real-time via connected devices. The data helps fleet operators track the vehicle’s health and alerts them regarding upcoming maintenance requirements.

Six ways IoT has revolutionized fleet management

Environment-friendly operations

IoT solutions offer a great way to reduce carbon footprint through sustainable fleet management. These intuitive technologies monitor driver performance and fuel utilization per mile. You can use the data to align your efforts with your green fleet strategy.

It can be used to improve driver behavior through training and adopting route optimization techniques. Vehicle condition tracking allows the identification of service requirements in advance. You can regularly monitor all your vehicles and maintain them in a good condition.

Not only does IoT technology help reduce environmental pollution from idle vehicles, but it also saves money on wear-and-tear repair costs by helping drivers avoid speeding or idling their cars unnecessarily. It reduces the overall impact of your business on the environment.

Preventive maintenance

Vehicles equipped with IoT sensors collect data from endpoints and send automated signals. This feature can generate early warnings or alerts for monitoring crucial parts of a vehicle such as tires, breaks, and so on.

Based on the information collected, fleet managers can identify parts that need maintenance or must be replaced. You can set alerts for low battery, low levels of coolant, changes in tire pressure, fluctuations in temperature, or defective engine.

The preventive fleet management services help vehicles perform optimally. You can change crucial parts such as tires in advance and re-stock spare parts to avoid accidents and ensure all vehicles run safely at all times.

Engine performance

Remote Engine Monitoring & Diagnostics has been a catalyst to improved fleet performance and optimization. Fleet managers can use it to monitor and analyze the critical engine parameters remotely.

The concept uses diagnostics fault codes to understand what may be wrong with a vehicle. In-vehicle data acquisitions provide comprehensive information on how the vehicle performs or if any problems need attention off the road.

In addition, integrated field engineer optimization means less downtime by sending engineers where they are needed most.

Fleet operators can also use IoT for spare part management. Ensure your inventory is stocked as per upcoming requirements so your vehicles would not proceed on the next trip without necessary repairs.

Improved fuel efficiency

The fuel efficiency of a supply chain vehicle is mainly dependent on the driver and vehicle condition. Poor driving behavior such as idling or unnecessary acceleration and deceleration consumes excessive fuel.

It also leads to wear and tear of crucial components such as tires, brake discs, and so on. The performance of improperly handled vehicles depreciates over time, resulting in higher fuel consumption. Using IoT technology allows you to track vehicle performance data in real-time.

You can analyze data such as average speed to identify erratic patterns in driving behavior. It also provides details related to the condition of parts of vehicles. Improved fuel efficiency saves costs for the company and reduces the adverse impact on the environment.

Commendable automation

IoT-driven connected devices can be used to automate procedures and revolutionize fleet management. Fleet managers can automate many processes, such as route planning and maintenance checks.

Different IoT sensors and GPS-enabled smart systems installed on the vehicle send automatic notifications upon detecting a vehicle breakdown or when weather conditions are fluctuating. It reduces human intervention in maintenance checks and saves time.

Automatic rerouting informs drivers in real-time and helps in saving costs while meeting delivery timelines. Route optimization ensures your fleet takes the best possible route to reach the destination on the expected delivery date without increasing fuel spends.

Higher visibility

IoT collects data from different sensors and stores vast amounts of data. It helps companies use these insights to fulfill various objectives such as fleet performance, compliance with laws, driver behavior, idling, or speeding.

IoT enables cargo cars to keep perishable items and food products fresh. Their network of embedded temperature control devices throughout the cargo chain.

The visibility offered by them helps you ensure food items stay at an optimal safe storage level for consumption or transport.

They work by checking on whether items inside the vehicle’s cabin are outside the specified temperature range. The fleet operator is notified directly from within its internal environment-controlled compartment of the fleet.

Technology requirements for fleet management

Fleet managers should equip their vehicles with the latest IoT-enabled devices and wireless technology. Using high-quality sensors enables accurate recording of data at the endpoints.

For precise data collection, you must select a suitable variety or group of sensors depending upon the requirement of your vehicle and products.

You can pick from temperature, pressure, light, humidity, and proximity sensors. OEMs and telematics service providers must adhere to compatibility standards when developing IoT solutions to ensure precise data sensing.

When deploying IoT devices, you must ensure they perform across all networks, including 2G, 3G, or 4G LTE networks. Explore connection options across diverse networks like Wi-Fi and BLE for a cost-effective approach.

You can also experiment with advanced technologies such as Augmented Reality, Blockchain, and Cognitive Recognition to optimize your fleet management strategy.

You may also need custom software and cloud storage for storing and analyzing data. These must enable remote monitoring and controlling of all connected devices.

All IoT equipment used in your vehicle must conform to safety standards to ensure compliance with road safety rules and driving standards of all regions covered throughout the journey.

The combined impact of telematics and IoT

Telematics has fueled a revolution in the logistics industry by making fleet management more efficient.

-The use of technology to track the location and condition of vehicles means that drivers are less likely to get lost, miss deliveries, or run out of gas while driving.

-Modernized fleet management offers fuel efficiency.

-Driver monitoring ensures lesser accidents and penalties owing to poor driving practices.

-Improved safety for both drivers behind the wheel as well as workers on or near highways.

-Decrease in operational costs as fleets will last longer.

-It is now easier to keep track of shipments at all times through connected devices. The GPS tracking software allows fleet managers to monitor their shipments in real-time. You can follow the map and select the best route for on-time delivery.

-One can study valuable data related to vehicle maintenance or fuel management for project cost calculation and optimization.

Over to you

Imagine a world where you can know the location of your fleet within moments and track it in real-time. With IoT, companies save time and costs by decreasing wait times for inspections and conducting proactive maintenance of their vehicles.

They can provide better customer service by ensuring each customer can track their order and minimize delayed delivery instances. They control your fleet and can reduce accidents or delays caused due to miscommunication between departments.

IoT is making the adoption of these changes easier than ever for companies. They are equipped to strategize better and increase productivity by automating routine tasks.

Therefore, integrating information technology improves the performance of your fleet business manifolds. It assures improvement in efficiency and compliance with road security standards.

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Smart Cities of the Future Rely on Innovation, Critical Discussions

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In the Chinese city of Hangzhou, an AI-based smart technology called “City Brain” has helped reduce traffic jams by 15%. During the pandemic, New York City analyzed data related to spending pattern changes in specific neighborhoods to better allocate aid disbursement and investment priorities. And San Diego was lauded for approaching city-building with a “citizen-centric focus”, thanks in part to its use of mobile apps, and expansion of open data, along with its Get It Done citizen reporting tool.


 

Smart cities are sprouting up around the globe at an increasing rate, and they are quickly becoming model frameworks for future-ready urban centers seeking to level up how they collect and parse citizen data. What they all have in common is how they invest resources and time into developing city-centric solutions to address the wide swath of city challenges: waste and water management, public safety, transportation, air quality monitoring, traffic and parking, public works, municipal Wi-Fi, and more.

What the future of cities relies on, especially as they all recover from a devastating pandemic, is the innovation brimming across hundreds of projects built to answer a critical question: how can we leverage the data from smart city technologies to digitally empower cities to adapt and thrive?

When cities smarten up, everyone wins

For cities considering the pros and cons of adopting new technologies, it’s hard to argue with the data: By 2025, cities that deploy smart-mobility applications have the potential to cut commuting times by 20% on average, with some people enjoying even larger reductions, a McKinsey report found.

Take the sprinkler your neighbors automatically ran this weekend after it rained. If cities deployed sensors and analytics to water consumption patterns, which pairs advanced metering with digital feedback messages, it can urge people toward conservation and reduce consumption by 25% in cities where residential water usage is high. While currently, much of this IoT technology and data is owned by the private sector, it’s critical to bridge this gap in order to help the public better understand their behaviors and impact through data. Additionally, access to this data will enable cities to make better decisions about public resources and amenities.

The more data a city can collect about its citizens’ habits, the more sense they can make of which resources can be allocated where. And it can save lives, too. In Nevada cities, Waycare’s predictive AI delivers an 18% reduction in primary crashes and a 43% reduction in the percentage of speeding drivers along key corridors.

Some cities haven’t caught up to the shining examples of layering data collection and real-time analysis in urban centers. More often than not, they are encumbered by bureaucratic and outdated approaches to data collection.

There’s a disconnect between the municipalities and corporations that may have IoT data and the stakeholders, including those same cities and private developers who could benefit from it, too. Same-old strategies on data gathering, such as physical surveys and endless meetings to pick at each process, should be phased out, and allow for an intermediary to help finesse the conversation between those three pillars of city development.

Also, cities have to address the unease some people may feel about surveillance technology, for example. In China, where that tech has long been the norm, they’re even anxious about how their data will be used by their government: According to a recent survey by tech firm Tencent and Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, nearly 80% of respondents said they worried about the impact of artificial intelligence on their privacy.

Pandemic’s curveball could end up being a home run

If there’s any hand wringing over the state of cities due to the havoc wrought by the pandemic, urban theorist Richard Florida offers some comforting words: “Cities have been the epicenters of infectious disease since the time of Gilgamesh, and they have always bounced back—often stronger than before.”

Some insiders believe that as much as the pandemic crippled supply chains and shut down business sectors across communities, it brought a few silver linings. Data collection strategies accelerated immensely, whether from health care departments or government agencies. The continuing trend of leveraging Internet of Things devices, which connect to each other quickly and remotely, also gave rise to intriguing pairings.

At the state and infrastructure levels, AI and machine learning will likely be matched with IoT for even closer social monitoring as pandemic warning and control systems are established, notes a report from research firm MSCI.

As broadband use skyrocketed during a year of work-from-home policies, rollouts of 5G networks continued at a brisk space, and even picked up in areas that needed high-quality connectivity as soon as possible. Building that underlying network is fundamental to enable seamless adoption of technologies at the heart of smart cities of the future.

Going forward, city planners and developers will work with datasets from businesses who layer various granular data on heat maps via an analytics platform. Understanding the correlation between income levels and access to certain retail, like grocery stores, or access to transit and parks where a neighborhood’s density is rapidly increasing, may be opportunities for cities to identify community needs and work with developers on new projects.

“Six key groups of people should be at the table to discuss where smart cities go from here,” says Chelsea Collier, founder of Digi.City, a consultant specializing in smart city technology.

Those groups should be:

-Government bodies, from local to federal

-Educational institutions, from kindergarten to post-secondary

-Startup entrepreneurs to bring subject matter expertise to the discussion

-Artists and creative who can fuel projects with outside-the-box solutions

-Social sectors such as nonprofits and advocacy groups

-and communities and their citizens

“When everyone listens to each other’s perspective, it’s more useful than just working towards someone’s agenda,” adds Collier.

The smarter the city, the more it’s open to how various sectors, private and public, can drive innovation and growth forward. The future of cities will be written by those players who look beyond their own personal missions and instead cast a wide net to strengthen neighborhoods adapting to a strange post-pandemic era fraught with challenges.

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Sara Maffey is the head of industry relations at Local Logic, a location intelligence platform that digitizes the build world for consumers, investors, developers and governments. Local Logic delivers an unrivaled clarity and actionable insights capable of creating more sustainable and equitable cities.

warehousing
Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Warehousing

The Future of Warehousing

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In September of 2018, Forbes Insights published a survey of 400 senior haulage executives. They reported that more than two-thirds of the respondents believed seismic changes had to occur within the logistics sector, otherwise its warehouses would risk not being able to facilitate the growing demand for freight delivery.

Three years and a global pandemic later, and demand for warehouses is higher than ever. So how has the industry endured this tumultuous period? The simple answer is greater investment in technology! Innovators within warehousing have continued to incorporate intuitive software into their models to cut costs, speed up delivery time and improve efficiency.

With this trend of incorporating technologies into the haulage sector only set to continue, the mind boggles at what warehouses could be capable of in the future. To that end let’s unravel the warehouse innovations set to be introduced in the coming years and what the biggest names are doing today to ensure they won’t be left behind.

Warehousing the Amazon way

We would be remiss not to mention Amazon in a discussion about the future of warehousing. After all, their network accounts for over 150 million square feet of warehouse space across the globe.

The company has, since its emergence in the ‘90s, being trailblazers for cutting-edge warehousing models. In the mid-2000s they popularized fulfillment centers whereby sellers could leverage the vast network of warehouses Amazon had to store, pack and ship their customer’s orders for the same standardized fee – no matter where an item was being sent.

Since then, many warehouses have attempted to adopt something similar to the Fulfilment By Amazon (FBA) program and offer to not only store their client’s products but package and deliver them as well. However, none have been able to even rival the FBA. Namely because of one very appealing benefit that FBA offers sellers: Prime eligibility.

This legacy of advancement was further solidified by the recent announcement that Amazon was opening its first robotics fulfillment center in Alberta, Canada. The automated warehouse, slated to open in 2022, is the result of almost a decade-long investment.

In 2012, Amazon purchased robotics company Kiva Systems for $775 million which gave them ownership of a new fleet of mobile robots which were capable of carrying shelves of products from worker to worker and intuitively navigate a warehouse according to barcodes on the floor. Like the FBA program, it’s expected that many warehouses will use Amazon as inspiration and invest in some form of robotics to aid with automation.

Automation for all

As Amazon recognized, automation is the silver bullet when it comes to boosting a warehouse’s operations. Having a workforce that never tires, runs 24/7, and provides a near-perfect output is invaluable. It’s likely that every stage of warehouse infrastructures will have some form of automation in the next few years if they haven’t already.

Drones are expected to have a significant role in the future of warehousing, specifically in aiding inventory control. MIT conducted research in 2017 where they programmed drones to fly above a warehouse floor to read RFID tags from more than ten meters away. The study was a success with the drones only having a 19cm margin of error.

There are currently some safety concerns delaying the immediate integration of drones in warehousing but the continual developments of the technology suggest that we’re not too far away from seeing them introduced.

Automated conveyors and sortation systems have been staples of warehouse infrastructures for decades, now experts are predicting that a third system will become part of every warehouse’s arsenal. The ARC advisory group’s warehouse automation and AS/RS research forecasts that the shuttle systems market is going to grow exponentially.

For context, a warehouse shuttle system is a mobile cart that transports items in pallet racking. It replaces the need for an operative to use a forklift to retrieve stock totes, trays, or cases in a storage buffer. The system, which is also being touted as an essential by various trade groups, provides warehouses with high throughput, scalability, and storage density.

Considering that repetitive tasks can be mechanized fairly easily, there’s plenty of reasons to be excited for what other types of automation could be introduced into warehouse infrastructures and the benefits that they will no doubt yield.

Big Data & AI

Big data and machine learning have revolutionized many industries since their proliferation in the early 2000s and it’s expected to do the same to warehousing.

Order and inventory accuracy, as well as fulfillment time, are all Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that could be improved through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI can also evaluate more general drivers that may affect a warehouse’s overall performance including safety, facility damages, and employee productivity. Using this aggregated data AI is able to start automating tasks, collecting the necessary information, and making decisions on its own.

Some industry leaders have already made the transition and began using AI. For example, Alibaba recently fully automated its stocking and shipping warehouses in China by using robots controlled by a sophisticated machine learning algorithm.

Further down the line, many experts believe that more advanced metrics will come into play as well, such as predictive analytics which will give operators a helping hand when it comes to forecasting and drive smarter decision making in the warehouse’s overall operations. Predictive analytics will help with evaluating demand for warehouse space, planning inventory location, responding to supply chain issues, and reducing risks associated with more complex supplier networks.

It’s clear to see that the prospects for warehousing in the near future are bright with plenty of exciting technology currently in use and on the horizon. The industry’s willingness to constantly evolve is truly admirable, with interest in big data, automation, innovative models, and AI at an all-time high. We should all be very excited about the future of warehousing.

telematics
Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, International Trade

How Will Telematics Transform the Modern Supply Chain

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Today’s consumers expect goods to be delivered faster and on shorter notice than ever before. For the logistics industry, meeting these demands for greater flexibility and agility has required change, where it’s the adoption of lean logistics principles or the use of Industry 4.0 technology.

Novel telematics technology, powered by recent developments like Internet of Things (IoT) devices and artificial intelligence, are already helping the supply chain satisfy the needs of a growing and accelerating global economy.

This technology could revolutionize logistics in the near future, and here’s how.

Key Benefits and the Impact of Vehicle Telematics

One of the most significant obstacles logistics companies have faced has been the difficulty of tracking vehicle location, health and performance. New telematics technology can help businesses overcome this obstacle by vastly expanding the amount of accessible information on trucks and driver behaviors.. New telematics technology can help businesses overcome this obstacle by vastly expanding the amount of accessible information on trucks and driver behaviors.

GPS trackers can continuously track a vehicle’s location. Other telematics devices can communicate directly with internal car modules, like an engine or battery control unit. This provides a company with direct access to information on the engine health and performance of fleets.

With the speeds offered by 5G, these devices can transmit information in near real-time to the cloud, providing telematics data to the fleet owner and their business partners. The technology has a wide range of applications for logistics companies. Better knowledge of a driver’s current location and behavior can provide more accurate estimates of when a shipment will arrive.

GPS and engine data can also help businesses conform to new regulations like anti-idling laws. If a vehicle remains parked in the same place for long enough while the engine is active, the system can automatically alert the driver and log an idling event. Having a direct line to car data can also be extraordinarily helpful for technicians wanting to maximize the lifespan of fleet vehicles.

On the road, telematics systems can provide a great deal of information to drivers. Some can continuously monitor and report diagnostic trouble codes. Vehicle operators and the technician they work with can instantly know if an illuminated check engine light is caused by something like a loose gas cap or a much more serious problem.

Typically, this information is only accessible via an OBDII reader or code scanner, which may provide codes without explaining what they mean. The telematics solution makes this data more accessible and useful to non-technicians.

Early notification on potential vehicle issues can help fleet managers avoid or mitigate some of the most common maintenance issues in semitrucks and similar vehicles.

Transparency, Traceability and Data-Sharing

Telematics makes it possible to create a log of all information relevant to an order while it was in transit — where it was, what conditions it was exposed to and even the speed it was traveling while in the care of a particular driver.

As a business grows, this information can help managers coordinate an increasingly complex network of drivers, fleet headquarters and vehicles. It can also help companies improve the transparency and traceability of their logistics network.

Data gathered on drivers and shipment location can be provided to business partners, allowing them a real-time view of where critical items are while in transit. This information can also be stored for later use — like providing someone with a fuller picture of how a shipment moved from point A to point B after the fact.

In other cases, IoT can also help provide businesses with more information about how goods are shipped. IoT temperature sensors can supplement an existing telematics solution to provide real-time updates on the temp inside a vehicle.

This information can enable drivers to take quick action if storage temperatures move out of a safe range during transportation. Stored data from a particular shipment can also resolve conflicts if a product spoils while in transit. Temperature information can determine exactly when an item spoiled and more accurately pinpoint who may have been at fault. This technology can reduce the scale of recalls and prevent them from happening in the first place.

Similar devices measuring in-vehicle conditions like humidity and vibration can provide additional information to drivers and managers. This data can help them optimize storage and transportation conditions — reducing the risk that packages are damaged while in transit or sent at suboptimal conditions.

Optimizing Processes With Telematics Data

The data gathered by telematics devices can have value long after the moment in which it was generated. The rise of artificial intelligence and big data analytics means the massive amount of information produced by telematics systems can be analyzed to uncover insights that may have been impossible to find with conventional analytic approaches. This includes moment-to-moment information on driver behavior, location and engine performance.

For example, real-time information on driver routes and vehicle health can be used to create route optimization algorithms that use traffic data and driver behavior information to plan the fastest way to a destination. It could also be used to determine roadways that minimize gas consumption.

Data from deliveries can also be aggregated and used to create new planning algorithms in the long run. They can help companies develop more accurate estimates of how long a particular delivery will take based on available information like drivers available, driving behavior, traffic and weather conditions.

These improved estimates can ensure on-time deliveries and reduce the risk that a company commits to orders they cannot fill in a timely fashion.

Telematics Paves the Way for a More Efficient Supply Chain

Novel telematics technology, assisted by innovations in IoT and AI, greatly increases the amount of data that logistics companies have access to. A business can plug directly into their fleet vehicles with the right solution, allowing them access to truck health and sensor data.

Other telematics devices, like GPS trackers and temperature sensors, can provide additional information on the location of a shipment or the environmental conditions it may be in.

This information will allow businesses across the sector uncover new insights and develop algorithms that can optimize route planning and fleet management.

Enterprise Networking
Archives, Global Trade Daily, News

Enterprise Networking Market: Top Trends Reinforcing the Industry Forecast through 2024

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According to a recent study from market research firm Graphical Research, the global enterprise networking market size is poised to expand at a substantial CAGR during the forecast period. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has been shaping the field of networking in various ways, including the emergence of completely remote offices and the development of advanced software solutions for better communication. Consequently, the demand for networking solutions across enterprises and businesses is slated to spiral throughout the world.

The top seven trends powering the enterprise networking industry outlook are as follows:

Expanding Demand for High-Speed Switches in North America

In terms of product, the North American enterprise networking market outlook has been bifurcated into network security, routers, switches, network management, and wireless. The demand for high-speed ethernet switches has been escalating in recent times in accordance with the growing utilization of network virtualization solutions.

During 2017, the market share from the switching segment accounted for more than 25% of the total regional industry. The forthcoming years are poised for considerable growth as the transformation of the enterprise network needs amid the pandemic has led to a higher preference for high-speed ethernet switches. With the proliferation of the 5G network, the demand will propagate further across the region.

North American Enterprises to Recalibrate their Cloud Strategies

Numerous businesses across the world, including those in North America, have been focusing on the recalibration of their cloud strategies as the workplace scenarios have been transforming due to the pandemic. In this scenario, virtual desktops, collaboration, and mobility are embracing the cloud deployment model for enabling a secure and distributed workforce.

The cloud model is increasingly being leveraged not just as an application destination but as a new enterprise management tool because it offers network insights efficiently. It ensures quick access to the latest features as well. This move toward the cloud deployment model is more than likely to stay afloat in the post-pandemic times.

Introduction of Native Cloud Management Platforms in Canada

By 2024, Canada is likely to emerge as one of the leading regional markets of the North American enterprise networking market. Advancing at a 6% CAGR, the regional segment has been registering a remarkable uptick in the volume of cloud service adoption by enterprises.

With the Canadian government utilizing cloud technology for responding to the growing necessity for IT services, private enterprises are turning to advanced cloud strategies. Numerous industry players have been expanding their product and service offerings. For instance, the cloud-based networking company, Extreme, announced the addition of a native cloud management platform located in Canada during December 2020, ensuring better data privacy and sovereignty for large enterprises.

Alarming Rise in Cyber Threats in the U.S.

The dramatic rise in the volume of cyber threats and cyber-attacks amidst the pandemic has been driving enterprises to adopt advanced networking solutions in the U.S. During 2017, the U.S. represented a staggering 70% of the total North America enterprise networking market share.

Clearly, cyberattacks rank as one of the fastest emerging crimes across the U.S., leading to major business disruptions. Recent surveys reveal that most enterprises are susceptible to data loss due to their poor cybersecurity practices and unprotected data. With growing concerns regarding better protection of data, the prospects for the enterprise networking industry in the U.S have improved.

Growing Adoption Across IT & Telecom in Asia

The Asia Pacific enterprise networking market size is slated to expand rapidly over the forecast years. The sector held a market share of more than 30% during 2017 and might make a significant headway by 2024. By 2024, the overall APAC industry share will have reached $20 billion.

The growth in the need for high bandwidth applications has been encouraging enterprises to switch to advanced enterprise networking solutions for addressing the current bandwidth shortage problems. As smartphones, laptops, and tablets become more commonplace with trends such as BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), the enterprises will see a higher adoption even in post-pandemic times.

Cybercriminals Capitalizing on COVID-19 fear in Japan

In Japan, cybercriminals have been capitalizing on the COVID-19-induced fear for luring victims into sophisticated traps, while hackers have been targeting victims via hoaxes and phishing emails. This will fuel the APAC enterprise networking market forecast.

As Japanese companies have been falling victim to unexpected cyberthreats and cyber-attacks, they have been striving to fortify their cybersecurity. In December 2020, the Japanese Ministry of Trade urged enterprises to exercise enhanced leadership with strengthened internal cybersecurity, as the frequency can worsen with the growth in telework.

Rising IoT devices across the Netherlands

The Netherlands enterprise network market is expected to accrue a considerable revenue by 2024, growing at a 10% CAGR through the analysis timeline. The support from government initiatives has been improving cybersecurity across enterprises.

Issues such as the rising phishing through text messaging, misuse of vulnerabilities in Dutch government’s servers, misuse of the ICT infrastructure, and large-scale distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks are urgently being addressed by enterprises to avoid losses that can have an impact beyond the financial aspects. The considerable addition of numerous IoT devices to the technological infrastructure in the region, promoted by the deployment of LPWAN technology has also been fostering networking growth.

Industrial Sensors
Archives, Global Trade Daily, News

Three Key Aspects that will Influence the Demand for Industrial Sensors by 2027

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Large-scale adoption of industrial robots across manufacturing & processing industries is expected to offer a considerable push to the industrial sensor market outlook. According to the International Federation of Robotics, around 2 million industrial robots are expected to be utilized across factories worldwide by 2022. Robotic Process Automation (RPA) technology in the manufacturing sector, as well as automation equipment such as HMI (human-machine interface) and PLC (programmable logic controllers) in assembly and production lines heavily, rely on industrial sensors.

The demand for such automation equipment may accelerate supported by favorable government initiatives designed to advocate the acceptance of industrial automation in the food & beverage sector. In March 2021, the Government of Australia announced an investment of USD 993 million to support the region’s F&B manufacturers under its MMI (Modern Manufacturing Initiative) scheme.

Projections from a report published by Global Market Insights, Inc., suggest that the industrial sensors market is expected to surpass USD 30 billion by 2027. Although, it is vital to note that the shortage of raw materials & components due to imposed COVID-19 restrictions have severely impacted the industrial sensors market growth in mid-2020. The shift of existing manufacturing facilities to new regions due to political and business obstacles might hinder the market growth during the pandemic.

Here are some of the trends to look for in the industrial sensors market until 2027:

Force Sensors Witnessing High Demand

Industrial IoT is steadily extending its reach across the pharmaceutical, food & beverage, chemical, and oil & gas sector. As a vital component in industrial IoT, industrial sensors are used to detect, measure, and analyze parameters such as level, temperature, pressure, force, and position, among others. Reports indicate that the force sensor segment held a market share of around 8% in 2020.

Force sensors are used to measure various physical parameters such as torque, mass, and weight of an object in the industrial sector. These sensors are commonly used in counting scales, hopper scales, bench scales, platform scales, truck scales, and belt scales. Force sensors have high capabilities to monitor the load and prevent industrial machinery from overloading and find application in force exertion control and industrial test benches in industrial robotics.

Demand Across the European Pharmaceutical Sector

Europe is home to some of the world’s leading pharmaceutical manufacturers such as AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk, and Pfizer, Inc., among others. These companies are currently emphasizing on the mass production of vaccines and novel drugs. Certain equipment used in the medical industry are integrated with force sensors for fluid monitoring applications, endoscopic surgery, dialysis machines, physical therapy equipment, orthopedics and MRI devices.

Pharmaceutical companies in the region are extensively focusing on new research & development activities, increasing the adoption of industrial sensors. High-volume manufacturing and large-scale investments in the pharmaceutical sector will devise new opportunities for industrial sensor manufacturers in Europe. As per estimates, the industrial sensors of Europe is anticipated to register 7% CAGR from 2021 to 2027.

Use of Gas Sensors in Mining Application

The demand for industrial sensors such as gas sensors is escalating in mining & exploration activities. Generally, industrial gas sensors are used undermining conditions to monitor safety parameters to safeguard miners from toxic & flammable gases. Linking sensors with IoT systems will help mining companies to extract real-time & exact data about the temperature, pressure, and gases in the mines. The mining application segment held a 7% market share in 2020 and is projected to grow at 8% CAGR by 2027.

Source: https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/industrial-sensors-market