Uses of Mobile Tech for Supply Chain Management

Managing any supply chain involves addressing a range of challenges on a daily basis. When ineffective or inefficient tools and practices are in place, there are significant opportunities for operations to be derailed. This can be disastrous at a time in which commercial and private customers alike expect a smooth and reliable supply chain. As such, it is vital to ensure managers are appropriately equipped to optimize processes.

Mobile devices and smart items in the internet of things (IoT) have the potential to make a positive influence on the chain. Alongside helping supply chain managers make agile decisions based on real-time data, these tools are increasingly affordable. This means even smaller companies can have a competitive presence in the industry.  

So, let’s take a closer look at this subject. What are the uses of mobile tech for supply chain management?

Improving Driver Safety

Perhaps the most important use of mobile tech in supply chain management is in improving safety. One area in which this is especially relevant is shipping. Delivery drivers are frequently placed in some of the most precarious positions, particularly when traveling long distances. Indeed, supply chain issues, like trucker shortages, can place additional pressure on drivers that may impact their safety. Often, this is the result of the requirement to drive longer hours or to hit targets that result in risky behavior being adopted.

Mobile technology can be utilized to mitigate the potential safety issues here. Businesses can arrange for drivers to use wearables that provide data on heart rate, body movement, and sleep quality. This helps managers to actively assess drowsiness and advise drivers to take rest periods. They can also request drivers stop to take psychomotor vigilance tests on their smartphones to identify hazardous sleep deprivation. 

Boosting Efficiency

In order to maximize profits, businesses in the supply chain must ensure their operations are as efficient as possible. Unfortunately, there are various areas of operations that can cause unnecessary drag on resources. Technology in the IoT can be instrumental in identifying and mitigating these.

In the warehouse environment, employees can use wearables to track their movements around the premises throughout their duties. This isn’t intended to monitor the behavior of workers themselves. Rather, managers can assess the data to determine whether the warehouse layout can be better designed to reduce unnecessary traveling distances. This can also influence rearranging the positions of the most popular items of inventory to ensure faster picking and a shorter distance to the shipping department.

During the shipping and logistics stages, mobile telematics technology can be instrumental in improving efficiency. Devices fitted to vehicles can monitor vehicle performance and provide managers with data on the most urgent maintenance requirements. This ensures vehicles are less likely to break down, thereby reducing lag in the supply chain. Managers can also pair these sensors with artificial intelligence (AI) route-planning systems. The software can assess vehicle performance alongside current road conditions to provide fleet managers with the most efficient routes to take.

Bolstering Security

Supply chains are particularly vulnerable to cybercrime. The most concerning examples of this include supply chain attacks in which criminals gain access to a company’s digital systems via an external partner. For instance, a warehousing business’s close operational connections to a shipping company might mean a breach with the shipper puts the warehouse’s data at risk. The more supply partners in a chain, the greater the potential cybersecurity hazards are for each company. It is, therefore, vital to mitigate any security blind spots.

From a mobile technology perspective, this involves encrypting devices in the IoT. Whether these are sensors to track manufacturing processes or telematics systems, it’s important to ensure these items can’t be breached. One of the mistakes many businesses make with the IoT is leaving the devices’ passwords set to default or failing to turn on the encryption options. Some attention to this makes certain criminals find it harder to enter the system through these devices or can’t access them through wider supply chain attacks.

Traveling members of staff must also take protection precautions when on the move. If they’re using public networks via company mobile devices, these can be breached by criminals. Indeed, if a hacker infects a device with malware, this can be spread throughout the supply chain network. Businesses need to invest in strong virtual private networks (VPNs) for all devices used away from the workplace alongside frequent staff training on secure behavior.

Maintaining Quality

One of the responsibilities of the supply chain is to ensure products are not just produced to high standards but also reach consumers in this fashion. When errors are made here, this can disrupt efficiency and reduce profits. Mobile technology can be utilized to ensure there is a consistency of high quality throughout the supply chain.

This begins with ensuring that mobile sensors in the IoT are present throughout the chain. These sensors pick up product condition data from manufacturing all the way through to shipping. When combined with AI software, managers can receive analyses of the process and recommendations for changes that can improve quality control.

During the shipping process, the mobile IoT can be particularly vital for the transportation of cold or volatile materials. Sensors can monitor the temperatures and condition of goods alongside the integrity of their containers. When conditions change, connected software platforms can alert both drivers and fleet managers. This allows drivers to take action to prevent spoilage, contamination, or damage.

Conclusion

The supply chain can be a challenging sector to operate in. Thankfully, there is a range of mobile technology that can bolster management processes. Wearables can both improve delivery driver safety and be used to improve the efficiency of warehouses. Solid mobile security protocols can protect the entire chain from cyber attacks. There are also opportunities for sensors in the IoT to improve and maintain the quality of products.

With a good understanding of how mobile tech can fit into their business and partnerships, supply chain managers can ensure the integrity and efficacy of operations.