Living up to the hype: Lessons from IoT supply chain wins
The affordable connected sensors made possible by the internet of things seem tailor-made for supply chain management. IoT sensors are ideal for collecting and transmitting the data that companies need for numerous supply chain processes, from traceability and procurement to inventory optimization and logistics.
But has IoT lived up to its initial growth spurt and hype of a decade ago? Recent indications are that it is beginning to show clear value and positive ROI at companies that have implemented IoT in their supply chains.
In this episode, we examine trends in IoT in general and in supply chains, the challenges of deploying IoT, and why widely available AI is boosting IoT's practicality as a business tool.
Featuring: Subodha Kumar, Distinguished Chair and Professor of Statistics, Operations, Data Science and Information Systems, Temple University
In today's episode, we'll also cover:
Which IoT use cases provide the quickest wins.
Where IoT fits into the broader ecosystem of supply chain software.
The future potential of AI-enabled IoT in supply chains.
References:
Walmart deploys sensors to boost inventory tracking, AI efforts
Guide to supply chain management
Journal article co-written by Kumar on IoT in intralogistics
To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP.
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Google union organizer on AI job impact, working conditions
The evidence that AI can eliminate jobs is piling up. Amazon said recently it would lay off 14,000 corporate workers in an effort to become more nimble. The cuts weren't directly tied to AI, but the CEO previously said the workforce would shrink as Amazon continues to embrace AI. Target and UPS announced similar layoffs.
Meanwhile, software vendors announced reductions that were explicitly caused by AI. For example, Salesforce cut 4,000 customer support positions weeks after its CEO said AI was already doing nearly half the work.
In this episode, we examine AI's impact on jobs from the worker's point of view, with insights from people who maintain AI data centers, test the accuracy of search engines and use AI to automate some of their tasks.
Featuring: Shannon Wait, Senior Organizer, Alphabet Workers Union-CWA
In today's episode, we'll also cover:
Efforts to unionize workers to protect them from AI's negative effects.
Federal and state legislation regarding AI and jobs.
Whether AI will be beneficial to jobs in the long run.
References:
Amazon to cut 14K roles in effort to stay 'nimble'
AFL-CIO report, "Artificial intelligence: Principles to protect workers"
AWU-CWA report: "Ghost workers in the AI machine"
To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP.
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AI could save manufacturing from the baby boomer exodus
There's little doubt that AI is starting to eliminate jobs. Recent headlines confirm it. The trend presents a special risk to the manufacturing sector just as baby boomers retire in droves and more companies seek to build up their workforces and reverse the decades-long preference for cheap overseas labor.
But there are positive aspects to AI's impact on manufacturing jobs. Many workers are learning to use it to do their jobs more effectively and prepare themselves for an AI-centric future. Companies are training AI to do work that might not get done at all amid the labor shortages.
In this episode, we explore how using AI to capture and encode the skills of factory workers who are leaving the workforce could keep manufacturers in business, counteract the baby boomer brain drain and make industrial jobs more attractive to young workers.
Featuring: Alex Sandoval, CEO and Co-founder, Allie Systems
In today's episode, we'll also cover:
How Allie's AI, analytics and data platform helps manufacturers monitor and optimize production processes.
Why the software's AI copilot can also serve as a knowledge-transfer and training tool.
Where AI fits in companies' existing learning management and training systems.
References:
How manufacturers are reskilling factory workers for AI adoption
5 challenges of using AI in manufacturing
An overview of Allie's manufacturing software
To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP.
To watch the video version our podcast, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @EyeOnTech.
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How AI-driven digital ecosystems can improve sustainability
ERP sustainability software mostly focuses on data collection and reporting requirements of environmental, safety and governance (ESG) policies and typically isn't intended to control the business processes that impact the physical environment.
But other digital technology has been used for years to monitor and optimize resource use. Now IoT sensors are increasingly paired with digital twins and AI, and linked with ERP and other enterprise applications, to form a complete digital ecosystem for environmental sustainability.
In this episode, we explore digital sustainability technologies, their benefits and challenges, and whether more use of the technology will be a net benefit for addressing climate change.
Featuring: Peter Weckesser, Chief Digital Officer, Schneider Electric
In today's episode, we'll also cover:
New capabilities enabled by generative and agentic AI.
The sustainability technologies that have the quickest ROI.
Schneider Electric's work to optimize resource use in AI data centers.
References:
ESG strategy and management: A guide for businesses
Tech a double-edged sword in race to sustainability
Next-gen energy: Reimaging the grid of tomorrow (Peter Weckesser)
To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP.
To watch the video version our podcast, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @EyeOnTech.
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Is AI-powered search the new corporate learning powerhouse?
The internet transformed corporate learning from a paper-based, in-person process to one that is largely delivered in digital form, on demand from nearly any device or location.
More recently, generative AI has provided learning and development (L&D) teams with a tireless assistant that can crank out educational content in minutes. Now AI-powered search is sparking another transformation as employees increasingly use it to find quick answers while they work, learning gradually in ways that suit their personal styles.
In this episode, we examine the evidence for the trend, what L&D professionals should do differently, and how the search technology could affect legacy software, especially learning management systems.
Featuring: Josh Bersin, Founder and CEO, The Josh Bersin Company
In today's episode, we'll also cover:
How AI-powered search changes the way learning content is designed and delivered.
Whether using AI search for training could alleviate worker's fears of being replaced by AI.
What Bersin has learned about the emerging search trend from his company's Galileo AI assistant for HR professionals.
What new developments in AI-assisted search from vendors like Google and Anthropic mean for the corporate learning trend.
References:
Workplace learning: A complete guide for businesses
What is GenAI? Generative AI explained
Galileo Learn, Bersin's AI-driven HR training tool
To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP.
To watch the video version our podcast, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @EyeOnTech.
What separates successful enterprise technology implementations from costly failures? Here on Enterprise Apps Unpacked, we’ll do a deep dive into strategies that actually deliver results.
Every other Monday, veteran IT journalist David Essex interviews corporate leaders, industry experts and vendors—the people who are truly in the know—about important developments in ERP, HR and supply chain systems and the other applications that run the business. For business and IT leaders, these conversations cut through the chatter to help them make smart decisions about how they buy, deploy and use enterprise software.
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