Information Technology (IT) and the Supply Chain

Technology & Logistics

The author of this report has been asked to answer a fairly general but intriguing question. That question asks the author of this report to define how technology can improve the management of global logistics. Of course, technology can be used to improve logistics in any number of ways. However, the author of this report will center on a few in particular. Indeed, the use of barcodes, networking technology, wireless technology and voice recognition technology are just a few ways and manner in which technology can be used and leveraged to achieve more efficient and error-free logistical performance. While this technology can be daunting and complex, the results garnered from using them effectively is obvious and easy to see.

Analysis

One example of how technology can aid logistics is through "hidden" barcodes. Most everyone is familiar with the UPC codes used in retail stores to tie an item in the inventory to its relevant code, price and quantity. However, some barcodes can be obscured through paint and other materials when being used in aeronautical applications such as with NASA and other similar organizations. However, through their "Read Through Paint" project, they have been able to read barcodes that are obscured and thus could not be scanned using normal scanners and machinery. Rather than a traditional barcode that is read through a laser scanner, they would instead use one of five other methods to "scan" the barcode including magneto-optic, radar, capacitance, infrared imaging and ultrasound. Through one or more of those methods, NASA could have coding on objects scanned even if the traditional markings and barcodes are obstructed or unreachable for whatever reason. In a field like space and air travel, that is no small thing (Albright, 2002).

Next up for discussion is the use of wireless technology. While wireless has some downfalls and risks to the consumer as well as the company, an effective wireless implementation can yield significant benefits. Such was the case with leading information technology (IT) executives that devised a way to refine and hone the delivery management process in the trucking industry. Wireless and global positioning system (GPS) technology has become very affordable over the years. As such, the use of the associated access points and sensors can be used to streamline and speed up the logistics of trucking and hauling to a point where more time is freed up to make more strategic decisions and otherwise be more ready for other issues that come up rather than being bogged down with simple clerical and counting issues. Not only do the warehouses and managers get the benefit but the drivers of the trucks themselves do as well. There are also tons of application in the broader information technology industry and there are tons of options. The 802.11 wireless standard and protocol ranges in speed and depth from the 802.11 standard which, at the time, ranged from 11 megabits per second to 54 megabits per second (McCarthy, 2002; Teschler, 2002). Since then, the standard for 802.11 has reach N. And AC levels with speeds sometimes exceeding Gigabit wired Ethernet standards.

Last on the docket is the test case of the food service and delivery industry. The example used in the source for this report is U.S. Foodservice in Topeka, KS. The company had to react to an E.Coli outbreak that required the quarantining of the greens and such there were on site. Whilst that was going on, U.S. Foodservice used logistics and information technology in concert to track affected and possibly affected product until the recall was complete and shut down due to the scare being over. This included the use of voice-directed handling technology in the Topeka location. These voice-directed equipment pieces came in the form of very lightweight wearable computers. These computers could be used to prod and nudge employees that were doing wrong or getting bogged down with items that were not priority-driven in nature. Indeed, this allowed the organization to stay on task and remain "mindful" of the progress that they had achieved and needed to achieve. When it comes to a project like this that took place over an entire month, such consistency and performance is important and vital (Cross, 2007).