Understand what impacts the IoT can have on the material handling and storage processes of a company

“Internet of things” is the interconnection, by means of internet, of different computing devices inserted in regular or physical objects. Dumb physical objects equipped with smart sensors will be capable to accomplish complex tasks that necessitate a great degree of intelligence. These smart objects are therefore able to sense the external environment, collect information accordingly, and share the collected data. The collected information needs to be processed, analyzed and stored in order to deliver values and services to the user. Since, data processing and storage are generally done in a remote server, data needs to be transported from the sensors to the servers. In this thesis, different types of sensors are discussed as well as their benefits, various connectivity forms are presented, and two data processing options are analyzed. In the forthcoming years, “internet of things” technology is going to change the way individuals live by offering high levels of services. Financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, communications, retail, transportation, smart cities, smart warehouses, and agriculture are just few examples where IoT technology is having an impact. In the manufacturing industry, IoT technology is transforming, improving, and empowering the supply chain activities. In this thesis, the benefits of IoT technology in inbound logistics, production, warehouse activities, and transportation are discussed and analyzed. The analysis shows that the benefits of IoT technology are incomparable and therefore, despite IoT implementation challenges, many manufacturers are spending or will expend money on this astonishing technology in the near future.