Could 2016 be the year of wearable technology in the supply chain?

According to experts at ERP software specialists LINKFRESH, wearable technology will continue to advance and will significantly impact the supply chain industry in 2016.

The option to view business indicators instantly on mobile devices, coupled with the ability to obtain wearable devices for under £80, will ensure the trend towards wearable technology characterises the industry in the coming year.

Richard Jones, chief technology officer at LINKFRESH said: “Wearable technology, and the use of cloud software, will become much more widespread across the industry in 2016. The ability to access and input data in real time is the key way in which suppliers will be able to meet the stringent demands of supermarkets.

“The adoption of cloud software will be aided by the fact that the price of good quality laptops has fallen below £200, with good quality tablets available for under £50. These prices, which may fall even further in 2016, mean the bar to entry associated with cloud technology in the supply chain has been significantly lowered.

“With the ability to put these powerful devices in the hands of everyone, 2015 required us to think about making core lines of business software available across these devices. That sea change has laid the foundations for what we will see in the industry in 2016.

“Supermarkets are pushing suppliers harder than ever, a situation which looks certain to continue throughout the coming year. Dealing with this pressure is the biggest challenge the industry faces.”

According to research portal statista, the value of the global wearables market has rocketed from just $6 million in 2010, to $7.1 billion in 2015 – this is further projected to rise to as high as $12.6 billion in 2017.

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