Smart Industry 2/2018

Consider the scale of future
impact: Over the next two
years, humans will more
than triple the number of
“things” connected to the Internet,
growing them from 15bn today to
50bn by 2020. But 50 bn still represents
only a tiny fraction of what
could be connected – something on
the order of 3 percent of all connectable
things.
For many who own and operate supply
chains, IoT is already a big deal –
and it will only be getting bigger. According
to Jon Stine, Intel’s Enterprise
Sales GM, Retail, “the global retail industry
is in the midst of what might
be best understood as accelerated
Darwinian natural selection.” Some of
the retail species are rapidly evolving;
others are headed toward extinction.
The global
retail industry
is in the midst
of what might
be best understood
as accelerated
Darwinian
natural
selection.
Jon Stine,
Enterprise Sales GM,
Retail at Intel
Supply chain innovation – with a focus
upon the digitizing of processes,
the use of advanced analytics, and the
need for speed – will be a key factor
in determining whether a brand survives
or thrives.
The largest and most immediate opportunity
for value creation will be
found in the digitization of the logistics
processes, says Stine. In this day
and age, the paper trail is simply not
acceptable – especially when every
delay impacts sell-through and margin.
What then lies ahead for retailers?
An ever-increasing demand for fulfillment
speed and flexibility, that’s for
sure! Omni-channel retailing will demand
a new set of business processes
– and faster and faster responses. To
win shoppers who will expect delivery
measured in minutes and not
days, retailers will not only ship from
store, but ship one-unit orders from
distribution centers.
So far, less than 1 percent of all physical
objects that could be connected
are currently connected. It’s Cisco
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