March - 2020 9logisticstechoutlook.comthroughout the supply network leads to immediate decision-making, increased accuracy in forecasting, and more efficient asset deployment. Secondly, it will allow businesses to learn more about their customers, anticipate their needs, and provide a more tailored service. And finally, in the case of food products, the combination of IoT and Blockchain will ultimately provide the most complete view of their origin as they traverse the supply chain from end-to-end, giving us a new level of confidence in the quality of what we consume.As the supply chain evolves to become a more connected network, sharing accurate and timely information between partners will also be a vital component for achieving success. IoT, as a technology on the cusp of mass adoption, has the potential to be a game-changing technology for the network to achieve this aim.Easier And FasterThere has been a step-change over the last year in the way emerging technologies are becoming faster and easier to deploy. Logistics and our customers' needs now move incredibly quickly and our service must evolve across the life of a contract ­ all driven by the ever-increasing expectations of the end consumer. The days are gone when continuous improvement was enough to meet a customer's need to drive down cost and improve efficiency as customers are increasingly looking for logistics firms to go beyond this and push a new approach to rapidly deployable innovation, which supports their ambitions.Wincanton is focused on growth and we are supporting this through scaling up, modernising existing systems and solutions, exploiting their capabilities to support our customers, and by looking for innovation in all we do. In each of these areas, we have major programmes of work underway. We are also investing time and effort in artificial intelligence and machine learning, which are becoming mainstream for a modern business such as ours.For decades the logistics chain has been a relay race ­ suppliers pass the baton to manufacturers who pass it to logistics companies who pass it to retailers. The reality in a world of connected data and advanced technology is that it actually looks more like a network than a chain, as a fundamental shift from a linear way of thinking to a networked and systems-led way of working is becoming the norm. Businesses need a networked view of data through the cycle - only then can they achieve the lightning speed and flexibility that is expected and demanded of modern logistics. As the supply chain evolves to become a more connected network, sharing accurate and timely information between partners will also be a vital component for achieving success
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