04.09.2018 by Pamela Buchwald

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Boosting productivity, reducing risk and better integrating customers into business processes: The Internet of Things (IoT) is radically changing the storage and transport of goods.

No matter if it’s storing, sorting, ordering, packaging or transporting goods: Companies linked to the Internet of Things (IoT) save both time and money. Especially logistics and fleet management can profit from the digital transformation. Firms in these sectors are turning to mobility services, Big Data and the IoT to automate their logistics services and are adapting to change faster and more comprehensively than other industries. That’s the findings of a PAC study about the current status of the Internet of Things: Compared to engineering and manufacturing, the logistics sector is already relying more heavily on IoT applications and will continue to do so in the future – it is also profiting accordingly. What does that mean in real terms? Better connected equipment and more experience running IoT projects. The Internet of Things provides companies with a chance to bring together and analyze information in real-time. This allows them to flexibly manage their resources, optimize their operations and reduces their costs.

ANALYSIS IN REAL-TIME

Half of Germany’s logistics companies have already recognized they can make their operations more efficient by linking an IoT platform – functioning as a central data hub – to their own ERP and merchandise management systems. According to the Digitalization Index: Mittelstand from Deutsche Telekom and techconsult, every second firm monitors its vehicle fleet in real-time. They combine and analyze information as it happens in order to manage their resources more flexibly, optimize operation and lower costs. These effects are amplified even more when they enrich their information with other sources, such as weather and traffic services.

BEES TRANSMIT SENSOR DATA TO THE IOT  

Saving lives is even possible: Should a hospital urgently require an important medication, it’s crucially important for patients, doctors and pharmaceutical companies to know exactly where the drug transport is at all times. And not just the location – was the medicine always kept at the right temperature or has its effectiveness potentially been compromised by excessive heat or cold? Thanks to IoT technologies, it’s now possible to follow and monitor the transport of sensitive medication. Small networked sensors attached to the package wirelessly transmit the location and status of the medicine. And in the case of an emergency can even regulate the temperature inside the delivery vehicle.

The Silicon Valley IoT firm Roambee offers a solution in conjunction with T-Systems for global logistics operations via ship, plane or truck. The system’s so-called Bees transmit sensor data to a gateway connected to the Cloud of Things. They measure parameters like moisture, temperature, light and vibration inside a container. Water-resistant according to the IP65 standard and providing battery life up to five years, Roambee is also useful for protecting construction sites from theft and monitoring overseas transports. A dashboard lets users see the status of all deployed sensors – both at the office and on their mobile devices. An overview enables the monitoring of set thresholds that can, for example, set off an alert when they’re exceeded or when a vehicle deviates from its regular route. The dashboard creates clear reports in order to prove the cold chain has been kept intact. An open application programming interface (API) and SAP Leonardo connection facilitate integration in customer systems.