The Internet of Things (IoT) can be a tricky concept to get your head around.  But put simply, anything that can connect to the internet, and in turn to each other, is part of the IoT. It’s an interconnectivity between devices that work together to make our lives easier. We see this every day with our smart apps and devices - when our thermostat turns itself on when it recognizes that we're close to home, and when our fridge alerts us when we need to replace the milk.

These smart devices make life easier for the user.  They work by connecting to the internet and contributing information to a database. This creates a whole wealth of data that can be used to improve our businesses. This is particularly true in logistics, with a report by the IDC and SAP suggesting that IoT has the potential to improve delivery and supply chain performance by 15%

1. Circumstance monitoring

The IoT provides an unrivaled opportunity to monitor how things are going across your business. This is a great way to monitor productivity as well as identify areas for improvement. For businesses working in transport and logistics, with employees and products spending a lot of time away from the workplace, this is particularly useful. Not only can you keep track of your vans location, there are complementary products such as the Log-BT which allows you to monitor the temperature and humidity of your cargo. These features can protect your stock and prove that it arrived on time and undamaged should a dispute arise.

2. Data gathering

This connectivity brings with it huge advancements in the opportunity for recording and interpreting data. Collating everything in a database can help you identify any mistakes or room for improvement in your current business operations. Loggs Cloud can help you interpret your data by storing it all in one place and exporting it into as easy to read report.

3. Increase productivity to save profits

When Harley-Davidson transformed one factory into an IoT enabled plant it was able to shrink a 21-day product schedule to just 6 hours, saving the business over £150,000,000. This is an extreme example, but there will be many ways you can save time using IoT to take over small tasks and to identify areas for improvement in your business operations.