Ivanti Wavelink, the supply chain business unit of Ivanti, has introduced Ivanti Neurons™ for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to help organizations further automate, and optimize their supply chain operations. With Ivanti Neurons for IIoT, organizations can rapidly build scalable applications which integrate into existing processes, driving operational efficiency.
This announcement comes at a critical time, as the global supply chain remains in a state of crisis, facing pressing issues such as a massive labor shortage, poor distribution management, and lack of end-to-end supply chain visibility. To combat these issues, organizations across industry verticals, including transportation and logistics, manufacturing, oil and gas, healthcare, and retail, are urgently seeking ways to accelerate digital transformation initiatives and revolutionize supply chain operations.
Today, many warehouses and distribution centers feature smart devices, such as smart conveyors, sensors, cameras, robots, collaborative robots and pallets (see below). Yet the interconnections between these devices and technologies can be complex, expensive, and sometimes risky.
With Ivanti Neurons for IIoT, organizations can create low-code or no-code applications that automate and enhance supply chain processes, as well as deliver completely new capabilities. And, most importantly, organizations can seamlessly integrate these innovative IIoT applications into existing operations, driving further performance improvements and operational efficiencies. For example, the Ivanti Neurons for IIoT platform integrates rapidly with Ivanti Velocity using its built-in MQTT client and can be used to add IIoT automation around existing task-worker processes without having to invest in expensive WMS changes.
At its core, Ivanti Neurons for IIoT connects machines, devices, workers, and systems, maximizing productivity, deepening insights, and improving visibility. Below are the top features and benefits:
- CONNECT: Ivanti Neurons for IIoT seamlessly integrates data from connected devices and operational technology applications, including Ivanti Velocity, to ensure a single-source repository for diverse business insights.
- CREATE: With a low-code/no-code workflow builder, Ivanti Neurons for IIoT provides application enablement capabilities so that enterprises can implement rapid solutions.
- ANALYZE: Ivanti Neurons for IIoT provides tools and capabilities to derive insights from data, allowing for a deeper understanding of the environment and to spot opportunities for improvement.
- AUTOMATE: In a single platform, Ivanti Neurons for IIoT orchestrates productivity workflows, optimizes devices for peak performance, and improves process automation.
- VISUALIZE: With real-time contextual dashboards that deliver cross-device insights, deep analytics, and predictive recommendations, Ivanti Neurons for IIoT streamlines decision-making.
“We are excited to build upon our leadership position in mobile enterprise productivity and expand our footprint into the Industrial Internet of Things market focusing on supply chain,” said Brandon Black, senior vice president and general manager, Ivanti Wavelink. “We look forward to helping customers drive even more productivity within the supply chain with Ivanti Neurons for IIoT. As one example, businesses can install geolocation beacons on trailers and shipping containers, enabling yard managers to better understand when items will arrive so they can adjust workforce resources accordingly. Ultimately, Ivanti Neurons for IIoT democratizes information within organizations and the use cases are limitless!”
IIoT at the pallet level
The Industrial Internet of Things can help streamline and expedite order fulfillment, packaging, warehouse safety, and more in the manufacturing sector, Black told Reusable Packaging News. In one case study, a large European liquor distributor used large pallet trucks that each contain three different pallets. Pickers used mobile devices or bar-code scanners to scan and pick. An error at any point in the picking and loading process could lead to costly shipping errors and delays in order fulfillment and shipping.
The distributor leveraged Ivanti Neurons for IIoT to address this problem and improve workflows. Ivanti Neurons for IIoT helped the distributor build a custom “pick to light” solution on the pallet truck — based on the specific item that the material handler is picking; red, green, and yellow lights representing corresponding pallet locations will light up. Once the pallet location is confirmed, the light on the pallet lights up according to the order number represented, allowing the material handler to quickly turn around and see where to place the box of liquor.
With Ivanti Neurons for IIoT, the distributor gained an accurate, efficient, and paperless method of picking, placing, and sorting products on the pallet trucks — one that significantly reduces the potential for human error.