Why Artificial Intelligence Implementation is Lagging in International Shipping
The long-term benefits of including AI-powered systems in logistics and supply chain operations are well known.
- 25/07/2021
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The Future of International Commerce
Organizations involved in international commerce are constantly looking to gain a competitive edge over their rivals. Such organizations can certainly attain the market dominance they so crave if they incorporate IoT and other related technologies into their daily operations. In today’s sped-up world, the most valuable currency of them all is time. While that line may hold true for every sector, time is especially critical in the field of international commerce. Every organization involved in this industry tries to find new and innovative ways to shave off those few seconds here and there from their daily logistical operations. Information is nearly as important as time. To be more precise, not just any information: simple, timely information. At every step of the logistical and supply-chain cycles, the stakeholders involved require real-time information about aspects connected to the process. The companies that consistently get their time and information management right end up sitting atop the pecking order in the global market. Now, you may think that the cost factor is also important in this industry, right? That is correct. However, the fluctuation in costs in international commerce can frequently be linked with those two aspects. For example, if a buyer in Berlin does not receive timely information about a delay in their shipment, they may penalize the seller (based in Mumbai) in the form of monetary compensation, thereby running up the shipping costs for that order. The entire point of including IoT and other related technologies in the field of logistics is to optimize the time and information-related aspects of every cycle. These technologies, collectively known as connected logistics, can truly revolutionize the field of international commerce. Enhanced Information Flow During Transportation And Delivery During shipping and transportation, organizations can obtain large amounts of information by introducing technologies such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips and IoT devices in the carriage trucks, shipments, and individual product units. The data generated from these devices allow all the stakeholders to know the exact location and condition of the shipments. Additionally, organizations can get an idea about the transportation and shipping prices in the market before they can select their freight forwarders for overseas shipping. As a result, the overall visibility and transparency increase with the introduction of IoT in logistics. Traditional logistical cycles do not have the level of transparency and clarity during the various steps of the supply chain. The shortcomings stem from the fact that age-old logistical workflows rely on historical information for ongoing transportation and delivery processes. As a result, there are stark differences between the estimates regarding fuel prices, route choices, and other aspects. Connected logistics allow organizations to plan massive orders and shipments well in advance. Setbacks encountered due to outdated information are also nearly absent in connected logistics. The increased level of information generation and real-time updates help organizations and businesses to prevent delayed deliveries. Moreover, the exact nature of the data ensures that businesses avoid underestimating or overestimating the capacity of containers or trucks while creating size-related plans for individual batches of goods to be shipped at a given point in time. Unfortunately, the IT and other expenses are high. Also, the high level of technological involvement may result in businesses exposing themselves to more data security threats. Improved Warehouse Management The involvement of IoT in logistics has several positive impacts on the stock management processes and mechanisms of organizations. Firstly, using area-based monitoring and estimation, IoT-connected devices configure the optimal structure of a warehouse even before it is conceptualized and constructed. By using this technology, organizations can save time and costs even before their storage facilities are built. Moreover, factors such as storage space, the correct placement of stock, and the number of laborers required can be predetermined with the help of connected logistics. As a result, while implementing it may be expensive, IoT in logistics can prove to be a cost-effective option for organizations in the long run. Companies such as Amazon that are involved in the field of international commerce use AI-powered robots to carefully manage and retrieve goods and raw materials in their warehouses. The use of robots, although expensive, is helpful in a few ways, such as assisting human beings with lifting, removing or replacing big and heavy objects. Connected logistics involves the inclusion of multiple thermal radiation cameras and sensors which continually monitor the quantity of the goods in the organization's storage facilities. More importantly, the system also checks the quality of the stock present in the warehouse. Perishable goods, erosive products, and bio-degradable raw materials can be analyzed by incorporating machine learning and computer vision technologies in the warehouse management systems. Keeping in line with the concept of interconnectivity and information flow, any details about a noticeable change in the quality or quantity of stock can be relayed to the warehouse supervisors, transportation managers, and other people involved in the process. Advanced IoT systems are capable of determining the number of workers required for specific occasions (such as festive seasons, when the demand for goods is high). Based on this information, organizations can make work schedules and targets well in advance. Better Temperature Tracking for Cold Storage Goods The need for cold storage transportation has been highlighted during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the COVID-19 vaccines need to be stored at near-sub-zero temperatures while they are transported around the world. As a result, the management of cold chain storage and transport has become a critical task for several countries around the world. In international commerce, cold chain storage is a fundamental aspect of the supply chain. This type of storage and transportation procedure is used for food items, beverages, drugs, vaccines and chemicals. There are a few commonly associated issues with cold chain transportation. Generally, foods and chemicals perish or erode if not preserved in a frozen condition continually during their transportation and storage. While the product, chemical or other similar items can endure the supercooled storage facilities, their carriers will not be able to do so. Medicines and vaccines, especially, need to be stored in surroundings that are cooled up to -2 degrees. That temperature could damage a transport vehicle over an extended period. The inclusion of IoT in logistical processes can resolve problems like these. A temperature assessing device can be installed in the cold storage carrier. With IoT, this temperature-assessing device can provide real-time information updates to transportation supervisors and managers in the regulatory organizations. Here is how the IoT system could work: While the goods are in transit, the installed device continues to display information about the temperature within the carrier. If the temperature goes down in the mobile storage facility, the transportation supervisors will be notified about it. In such instances, major problems could be prevented. Streamlined Shipment Security and Theft Tracking With IoT in logistics, goods can be safeguarded against getting stolen during the transportation process. To achieve this, transportation providers normally install connected devices such as IoT- powered CCTV cameras in their smart containers used for freight. These devices constantly monitor the goods in the containers. The real-time streams of information allow several stakeholders to know the status of an ongoing shipment. Connected logistical devices help organizations track individual goods in a large shipment too. They notify and allow transportation managers to take swift action if an attempted theft is detected. Moreover, RFID tags on each product can help the organization to recover stolen or missing items from a shipment. Perfecting Last-Mile Delivery Phase In trade, it has been observed that the so-called last-mile journey, which is the final stretch of the supply chain that concludes with the customer receiving their purchases, is one of the most challenging phases for various purposes. From an organization's point of view, the last-mile delivery process is crucial as it may result in the retention of their customers. IoT-powered devices positively influence the phase by detecting potential issues in the delivery routes, weather conditions, and other myriad aspects. This data can be relayed to the deliverer. As a result, connected logistics can help with making the last part of the supply chain perfect. As you can see, the introduction of IoT and other related technologies in the field of logistics can benefit organizations involved in international commerce. To transform international commerce, countries and organizations need to embrace the standardized application of connected logistics to have it in sync with other industries, which are eventually moving towards adopting AI, IoT, and other advances in digital technology in their daily operations. Eventually, measures must be adopted so that connected logistics can become the norm rather than the exception. While that requirement comes with its own set of problems, proper implementation of connected logistics can help organizations overcome them. Over a long period, the list of benefits far outweighs the potential drawbacks regarding its implementation.
- 25/07/2021
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The Net Neutrality Debate: Pros & Cons
The net neutrality debate, irrespective of the popular opinion of implementing it, has also given us reasons not to implement it in our lives. A line from Dante Alighieri’s famous work, Inferno, says, “The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis.” The words emphasize the importance of having an opinion, either for or against something. No wonder the entire world took a stand during the digital dilemma of adopting net neutrality. It may sound ostentatious, comparing the fate of net neutrality to something as serious as a moral crisis. However, considering our dependence on the Internet and the power that it bestows upon us, the question of neutrality does stand in comparison to the moral crisis Dante referred to. The net neutrality debate has been on for a while now. People using the Internet services favored neutrality. People providing the Internet services, however, had a different story to tell. While the view that stood out in public was in favor of neutrality, there is also a flip side to the debate and pretty strong one too, that sponsors for an anti-net neutrality view. The Issue of Net Neutrality Net neutrality, in simple terms, is Obamacare for the Internet; or at least that’s how the American politician, Ted Cruz, referred to the net neutrality rules as proposed by the Obama administration. According to the theory, all Internet service providers must treat all Internet traffic equally. It means that service providers cannot change the prices, quality of the content, access rights, or the speed of access for the Internet service you invest in. The rules also extend to the Internet users and require the service providers to maintain neutrality despite the person using the services, the website owned by an individual, and the online activities (as long as they are legal) a user engages in. Pros of the Net Neutrality Debate This side of the debate brings out the convenience of implementing net neutrality across the world. The privilege of accessing the entire Web, a boost to the innovative processes, and the freedom from unreasonable limits placed on a user’s online activity are some of the attractive reasons that people across the world said a yes to net neutrality. The common man, using the Internet in one way or the other, stood in favor of net neutrality. Neutral Internet services allow access to all the data available on the Web. Be it Wikipedia, a well-known platform for information, or some not so famous YouTube channel, users are required to pay the same amount of money to access both of these sites. The popularity and the traffic on a website do not influence the quality and the speed of accessing the site. Neutrality also ensures that the access rights to a website are unbiased. This is highly beneficial for users who passively use the Internet for information access, to get news or for sheer entertainment. With standard and uniform rates, users get an all-access pass for all the content and services provided on the Web. A pro-net neutrality decision is also expected to benefit businesses and companies established on or revolving around the Internet. The hosting and maintenance of a business on the Web would be uniform for all enterprises availing cyberspace. Thus, a blogger who earns her living through the Internet gets the same privileges as Internet giants like Instagram or Pinterest get. Because net neutrality ensures equality for all content on the web, a blogger experiences the same exposure, standard quality, equal speed, and same revenue on the Web as other websites. Majority of the upcoming ISPs also opted for net neutrality. This is because there are limited options for a user to choose from when it comes to service providers. This limited supply in a highly demanding market results in a large entry barrier for the new ISPs. A high entry barrier in the form of a competition against the existing service providers and hosting the websites via their servers would make the establishment of a new ISP expensive and difficult. Google Fiber, an initiative by the mighty Google, for providing high-speed Internet and TV services also failed while trying to catch up with the existing ISPs in America. Thus, implementing net neutrality would boost innovation and open up new opportunities for businesses. Cons of the Net Neutrality Debate The anti-neutrality Internet access would turn out not so beneficial for the common man. However, in some cases, the absence of net neutrality helps providers and the Internet architects in curbing questionable content on the Web and ensuring that all the websites get equal privileges. A significant change bound to come with the absence of net neutrality is the prioritizing done by ISPs. Service providers are on a lookout for anything unethical on the Web. With limited free access to the content on the Web, service providers can restrict any such activity via their Internet service. These security checks play a vital role in detecting and preventing any illegal activities or questionable content that cause unnecessary Internet traffic. Thus, in a controlled manner, the absence of net neutrality maintains the legality of the Internet too. Another favorable result from the security checks implemented on the Internet is an improvement in the infrastructure of the Web. With the illegal activities out of the way, the Internet will be left with more room for legal and productive establishments and enterprises. A user’s access to the data would get faster and more bandwidth availability will help in upgrading the infrastructure of the Internet for every service provider. An anti-net neutrality decision would also facilitate a drop in the number of freeloaders on the Internet. With significant charges for accessing websites and the data on the Web, users would wisely select their plans, for the fear of paying more. This, in turn, limits the number of people accessing a particular website on the Internet. To sum it all up, this debate, like any other, has two sides. With net neutrality implementation, the restrictions come hand in hand with the benefits. Propagating an anti-net neutrality sentiment would legalize the Internet, making it a better place. The solution to the dilemma, however, lies in appropriately applying the net neutrality regulations. Extremely strict regulations would hamper the future of the ISPs and the web just as the extremely lenient ones would. Thus, the right amount of net neutrality would make the Internet, the way it was meant to be - for everyone.
- 23/07/2021
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Is Explainable Artificial Intelligence a Distant Dream?
Transparency in AI’s working can be headache-inducing for organizations that incorporate the technology in their daily operations.
- 22/07/2021
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Benefits & Challenges of Drones
From the initial unmanned ‘balloons’ to the sophisticated models we have today, drone technology has come a long way. With the extensive use and application of these vehicles in every field of the economy, understanding drones, the good and the bad, has become of utmost importance today. The unmanned balloons that Austria used to attack Venice in 1849 pioneered drone technology. Today, the same technology is employed in numerous applications ranging from agriculture to military. However, understanding drones, their benefits, the challenges they face, and the threats they pose, are essential in entirely adopting them in everyday use. Benefits & Opportunities of Drones A study by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International predicted that by 2025, the US drone industry will create more than a million jobs and contribute revenue of $82 billion to the economy. Looking at these statistics, one can imagine the prospects drones have in nearly all aspects of our lives. Some of the areas where drone usage has opened multiple opportunities are: photography for sporting events or landscapes security surveillance for domestic and commercial settings search and rescue missions construction inspection of roofs and chimneys agricultural surveys for crop health and soil conditions underwater inspections for marine research and studying aquaculture Drone technology has evolved from being used solely for military purposes to being applied in civil and government everyday applications. It is widely used in photography and filmography in movies for shooting scenes. One of the James Bond movie series, Skyfall, is a classic example of employing drone technology in filming better shots. Drones are also used in disaster management, especially in places inaccessible from conventional routes. Government disaster management bodies and military troops are using drones in disaster mitigation by providing the disaster-stricken people with food packets and medical aid. These unmanned vehicles have shown numerous benefits over manned vehicles, and are assisting law enforcement officers with street mapping, criminal surveillance, and traffic management. Challenges & Threats of Drones Drones, with their tremendous opportunities, come with a lot of challenges. They have limited payload and flight endurance. Adding extra sources of power or mechanisms to improve their payload capacity adds to the cost of the manufacturing. Not just the cost, but increasing the payload also reduces the flight time of the machine. Another challenge that drones face today is that of improper air traffic management, especially in areas with higher air traffic concentration. Researchers are trying to keep manned vehicles distinct from the unmanned ones. But, this creates confusion for the traffic management systems as they cannot build a highly intensive system solely for a few drones nor can they let the drones interfere with the existing air traffic routes. The growing popularity of these aerial vehicles is also posing multiple security threats. Many drones are now being fitted with cameras to enable video footage or live stream the flight. This application may turn out to be beneficial in some cases, but there has been an increase in using such drones to wrongly shoot in authorized locations, violating privacy policies. Along with cameras, criminals are also coming up with drones attached with weaponry. Terrorists are using such devices to organize crime, by targeting their victims with camera-enabled drones that provide them a live feed of the situation to deploy bombs to cause damage. A coin has two sides. It is apparent that as useful and productive as these drones can be, they also come with a huge factor of risk. Like there are ways to enhance the beneficial features in them, regulatory laws and policies, strictly applied to manufacturers and suppliers can help in reducing the risks and building a better future for drone technology.
- 21/07/2021
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