IoT, Robotics, Machine Learning to Transform the Supply Chain

Transport and logistics businesses are investing in Internet of Things (IoT)-based smart technologies to help them take advantage of the wealth of opportunities the Fourth Industrial Revolution offers. The sector is prioritizing IoT, machine learning, and robotics to increase efficiencies across the supply chain, according to research data collected by Inmarsat, a provider of global mobile satellite communications.

Inmarsat’s report, featuring responses collected from 100 large global transportation companies, found respondents see IoT as the top priority in their approach to digital transformation, with 36 percent having already deployed IoT-based solutions, and an additional 45 percent expecting to roll out the technology by 2019.

Transport companies are rapidly exploring a wide range of other next-generation technologies in the pursuit of digital transformation, the research reveals. The most popular are machine learning (37 percent), robotics (37 percent), and 3D printing (29 percent).

The supply chain looks set to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of this drive toward digital technologies, with 14 percent already reporting visibility and efficiency improvements in their supply chains and another 65 percent expecting to achieve this in the future.

"The industry is clearly making significant strides toward digital transformation, with IoT-based solutions, used in conjunction with robotics, automation, and machine learning, helping to transform the way that goods are manufactured, stored, and delivered," says Mike Holdsworth, director of transport at Inmarsat Enterprise. "Companies that proactively invest in these technologies will be able to facilitate more secure and profitable operations across their supply chain."