In the context of international integration, logistics activities play a crucial role in the competitiveness of the manufacturing and service industries in particular and of the whole economy in general. However, in the face of the rapid development trend of science and technology and the Industrial Revolution 4. 0, including digital technology, the logicstics activities are deeply affected. One of the advancements in digital technology is smart refrigerators, whose mass distribution is considered as an influential factor on business activities of manufacturers and retailers in the near future.
In this day and age, when it comes to a smart refrigerator, this smart device is used quite rarely, but in the future, it tends to become mass-market. A smart refrigerator has many functions and applications that a traditional counterpart does not have. As one of the modern designs, the smart refrigerator is integrated with an Internet-connected computer incorporating the latest artificial intelligence. The first and foremost function of the smart fridge is to manage and track goods by scanning barcodes of items. The computer will record the current date of the products put in the refrigerator and add their expiration date. Consequently, users can control their inventory and freshness. Each smart refrigerator will be equipped with an internal camera and an external smart screen to display the goods stored inside accurately. Therefore, people do not need to open the refrigerator if not necessary. Those things will be neatly arranged after being identified and classified by virtue of a sensor. The smart refrigerator make it possible for customers to create their shopping lists and order necessary goods remotely via the Internet. It also functions to suggest recipes based on available items, thereby helping users maintain a healthy diet.
The mass distribution of smart refrigerators will tackle some negative points in the logistics activities of businesses.
Temperature monitoring and data logging are critical in all aspects of logistics management, including transportation, storage and retail. Traditionally, these tasks are handled manually by employees. However, since the human error cannot be eliminated, ensuring hygiene and temperature and humidity standards in inventory can be risky. The advent and broader distribution of smart refrigerators will effectively mitigate the blunder that can be caused by humans. The sensor of the smart refrigerator will be used to detect the temperature, and humidity degree and related data are connected to extensive cloud data for real-time monitoring and management so that those storage conditions can be adjusted and maintained according to manufacturer's specified benchmark.
Specifically, during the transport process from the production spot and distribution centre to retail stores, the temperature and humidity data will be collected and uploaded to the server for control matter. In the event of a malfunction such as an abnormal temperature fluctuation, notices and reports will be sent to the supervising staff to handle the issue immediately. By using smart refrigerators, manufacturers (suppliers) will establish an uninterrupted chain of inventory control across logistics operations, distribution centre and retail locations. This makes it easier to accurately monitor the temperature and humidity of the products throughout all stages of production, transportation and storage to ensure comprehensive food safety and hygiene. Consequently, from the manufacturing spot, the freshest and most high-quality products will be delivered to end customers through retail outlets. Costs incurred due to product defect and maintenance would be minimized. Also, the manufacturer's product quality and reputation will be enhanced.
In addition to controlling inventory and freshness of products during transportation, smart refrigerators have the potential to alter the face of retail operations by narrowing the gap between the real and digital worlds. A smart refrigerator is equipped with an internal camera and an external display that accurately shows the foods stored inside; hence customers can see what to buy as soon as they enter the store. Furthermore, the smart touch screen can also inform customers of preliminary information of the products stored inside and they can interact directly with them. This helps clients to decide to buy the right stuff quickly, and attracts more and more customers choosing to purchase products of the store.
Additionally, by leveraging artificial intelligence through computers integrated with refrigerators, retailers will gather facts about demographics, shopping habits, and products preferred by customers based on the data collected after each interaction or purchase via the smart refrigerator. Retail stores can also allow customers to remotely connect to their smart refrigerators, do online shopping for fresh products by ordering according to the recipes proposed by AI technology based on their previously collected data, or at their choice. Then, either the products will be delivered to their address, or customers can pick up them at the store.
In terms of inventory management, retail vendors consider stock management to be pivotal for their successful performance. Hence, retailers can leverage the possibility to improve inventory control by implementing solutions of smart fridges. Embedded cameras and sensors inside not only gather relevant information on their customers and the goods they purchase, but also help merchandisers to monitor what items run out of stock beforehand then restock necessary products, thus delivering more satisfying experiences to users.
As for the retail vendors using cutting-edge refrigerators, they can minimize costs on salespeople and security staff serving in physical stores. Besides, several other costs such as product storage costs, the cost of rental of premises would be reduced, thus boosting the revenue.
Despite the mass distribution of smart refrigerators, retailers will be confronted with some challenges in their business activities. One of them is the new cost that will be incurred due to maintenance of smart refrigerators (software, hardware), which also requires correspondingly profoundly qualified technicians. Moreover, to widely apply this approach effectively, it is vital to have the synchronization of the device and interconnection. In other words, the smart refrigerator and its requirements (initial setup expense, Internet connection) must all be together met by manufacturers and retailers.
In conclusion, the mass distribution of smart refrigerators would facilitate the operations of retailers and manufacturers in an efficacious direction in the foreseeable future. All in all, businesses can tap into the technological potential to connect consumers to products and products to revenue.
In the context of international integration,
logistics
activities
play a crucial role in the competitiveness of the manufacturing and service industries
in particular
and of the whole economy
in general
.
However
, in the face of the rapid development trend of science and
technology
and the Industrial Revolution 4. 0, including digital
technology
, the
logicstics
activities
are
deeply
affected
. One of the advancements in digital
technology
is
smart
refrigerators
, whose
mass
distribution
is considered
as an influential factor on business
activities
of
manufacturers
and
retailers
in the near future.
In this day and age, when it
comes
to a
smart
refrigerator
, this
smart
device is
used
quite rarely,
but
in the future, it tends to become mass-market. A
smart
refrigerator
has
many
functions and applications that a traditional counterpart does not have. As one of the modern designs, the
smart
refrigerator
is integrated
with an Internet-connected computer incorporating the latest artificial intelligence. The
first
and foremost function of the
smart
fridge is to manage and
track
goods
by scanning barcodes of items. The computer will record the
current
date of the
products
put in the
refrigerator
and
add
their expiration date.
Consequently
, users can
control
their
inventory
and freshness. Each
smart
refrigerator
will
be equipped
with an internal camera and an external
smart
screen to display the
goods
stored
inside
accurately
.
Therefore
,
people
do not need to open the
refrigerator
if not necessary. Those things will be
neatly
arranged after
being identified
and classified by virtue of a sensor. The
smart
refrigerator
make
it possible for
customers
to create their shopping lists and order necessary
goods
remotely
via the Internet. It
also
functions to suggest recipes based on available items, thereby helping users maintain a healthy diet.
The
mass
distribution
of
smart
refrigerators
will tackle
some
negative
points in the
logistics
activities
of businesses.
Temperature monitoring and
data
logging are critical in all aspects of
logistics
management
, including transportation,
storage
and
retail
.
Traditionally
, these tasks
are handled
manually
by employees.
However
, since the human error cannot
be eliminated
, ensuring hygiene and
temperature
and
humidity
standards in
inventory
can be risky. The advent and broader
distribution
of
smart
refrigerators
will
effectively
mitigate the blunder that can
be caused
by humans. The sensor of the
smart
refrigerator
will be
used
to detect the
temperature
, and
humidity
degree and related
data
are connected
to extensive cloud
data
for real-time monitoring and
management
so
that those
storage
conditions can
be adjusted
and maintained according to
manufacturer's
specified benchmark.
Specifically
, during the transport process from the production spot and
distribution
centre
to
retail
stores
, the
temperature
and
humidity
data
will
be collected
and uploaded to the server for
control
matter. In the
event
of a malfunction such as an abnormal
temperature
fluctuation, notices and reports will be
sent
to the supervising staff to handle the issue immediately. By using
smart
refrigerators
,
manufacturers
(suppliers) will establish an uninterrupted chain of
inventory
control
across
logistics
operations,
distribution
centre
and
retail
locations. This
makes
it easier to
accurately
monitor the
temperature
and
humidity
of the
products
throughout all stages of production, transportation and
storage
to ensure comprehensive food safety and hygiene.
Consequently
, from the manufacturing spot, the freshest and most high-quality
products
will
be delivered
to
end
customers
through
retail
outlets.
Costs
incurred due to
product
defect and maintenance would
be minimized
.
Also
, the manufacturer's
product
quality and reputation will
be enhanced
.
In addition
to controlling
inventory
and freshness of
products
during transportation,
smart
refrigerators
have the potential to alter the face of
retail
operations by narrowing the gap between the real and digital worlds. A
smart
refrigerator
is equipped
with an internal camera and an external display that
accurately
shows
the foods stored
inside
;
hence
customers
can
see
what to
buy
as
soon
as they enter the
store
.
Furthermore
, the
smart
touch screen can
also
inform
customers
of preliminary information of the
products
stored
inside and
they can interact
directly
with them. This
helps
clients to decide to
buy
the right stuff
quickly
, and attracts more and more
customers
choosing to
purchase
products
of the store.
Additionally
, by leveraging artificial intelligence through computers integrated with
refrigerators
,
retailers
will gather facts about demographics, shopping habits, and
products
preferred by
customers
based on the
data
collected after each interaction or
purchase
via the
smart
refrigerator
.
Retail
stores
can
also
allow
customers
to
remotely
connect to their
smart
refrigerators
, do online shopping for fresh
products
by ordering according to the recipes proposed by AI
technology
based on their previously collected
data
, or at their choice. Then, either the
products
will
be delivered
to their address, or
customers
can pick up them at the store.
In terms of
inventory
management
,
retail
vendors consider stock
management
to be pivotal for their successful performance.
Hence
,
retailers
can leverage the possibility to
improve
inventory
control
by implementing solutions of
smart
fridges. Embedded cameras and sensors
inside
not
only
gather relevant information on their
customers
and the
goods
they
purchase
,
but
also
help
merchandisers to monitor what items run out of stock beforehand then restock necessary
products
,
thus
delivering more satisfying experiences to users.
As for the
retail
vendors using cutting-edge
refrigerators
, they can minimize
costs
on salespeople and security staff serving in physical
stores
.
Besides
, several other
costs
such as
product
storage
costs
, the
cost
of rental of premises would be
reduced
,
thus
boosting the revenue.
Despite the
mass
distribution
of
smart
refrigerators
,
retailers
will
be confronted
with
some
challenges in their business
activities
. One of them is the new
cost
that will
be incurred
due to maintenance of
smart
refrigerators
(software, hardware), which
also
requires
correspondingly
profoundly
qualified technicians.
Moreover
, to
widely
apply this approach
effectively
, it is vital to have the synchronization of the device and interconnection.
In other words
, the
smart
refrigerator
and its requirements (initial setup expense, Internet connection)
must
all be together met by
manufacturers
and retailers.
In conclusion
, the
mass
distribution
of
smart
refrigerators
would facilitate the operations of
retailers
and
manufacturers
in an efficacious direction in the foreseeable future. All in all, businesses can tap into the technological potential to connect consumers to
products
and
products
to revenue.