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Content from AT&T Business
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Get ready to enter the future of commerce.
connected commerce
The manufacturing, logistics, and retail sectors are undergoing profound transformation. Follow along to see what the future holds.
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apparel
factory
Explore how increased connectivity is changing the production process for retail goods.
loading
dock
Explore the Internet of Things advances that are upending supply chain logistics.
retail
store
Explore the new relationship between physical and digital in the retail world.
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apparel factory
Today’s factories use data from assembly lines and machinery to help increase data, communication and productivity. Internet of Things sensors and algorithms make automated solutions more viable. When a human touch is needed, the machine operator has relevant data to make an informed decision.
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loading dock
The transportation of goods will be more transparent as global tracking systems become affordable enough to pinpoint even low-cost goods at any point in their journey (not just at way points). The state of goods between point A and point B can be tracked and communicated, reassuring companies and their customers.
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retail store
Businesses are blending online and in-person experiences to get the best of both worlds. Customers will be able to seamlessly carry their digital cart into stores to complete transactions with mobile point of sale systems carried by store clerks, or to pick up goods.
Businesses will have new ways to provide personalized service, helping boost the bottom line.
Sensors in factory equipment stream data to cloud-based IT systems. There, algorithms track machine vibration, changes in power consumption, and running time to alert technicians of maintenance issues before they force expensive, unplanned outages. The result is predictive maintenance that can save time and money, keeping the cost of products affordable and wages competitive.
Factory employee
As machines take on more automated tasks, human employees are empowered to fulfill more decision-making and communication roles. Workers on the line are trained to spot production issues and fix them before they lead to forced shutdowns.
Production line
Real-time data about materials consumed in the making of goods is sent to business IT systems. Suppliers pull the data into their own systems to track demand for materials sent to the factory, to help supplies keep up with demand.
Highly secure networking solutions from AT&T help systems exchange information without leaking sensitive information to the wrong parties.
Raw materials
Raw materials such as bolts of cloth, dyes and other materials come embedded with inexpensive RFID tags the size of grains of rice. Each chip has a unique code that is readable by an RFID reader, allowing the items to be tracked in real time as they enter and leave the factory.
Drone
A drone is equipped with an RFID reader that can locate and register all of the materials in the factory at any given time as it flies over them. The data is sent to the IT systems of the factory as well as to those of the suppliers, helping them to keep in sync with each other and keeping supplies in alignment with demand
Logistics manager
Software on the tablet syncs inventory, shipping and delivery data with the home office. This allows distribution center managers to dispatch vehicles based on the up-to-the-minute needs of retailers as well as the supplies of goods coming from the factory. Orders and shipments all appear in shared, accessible databases, keeping manufacturing, distribution and sales on the same page.
Inventory
Inventory is tracked and updated in real time, with each item accounted for as it is ordered and shipped. Color, size, style, manufacturing data, shipment data, and arrival estimates, are among the pieces of information that help manufacturing, distribution center managers, retailers, and customers all get what they need, when they need it.
Transportation
Sensors track the truck’s status and location at all times as part of AT&T Fleet Management tools and software. Data streamed back to the command center can include GPS, truck maintenance data, fuel consumption, and video from onboard cameras while trucks are out on deliveries.
Driver
Drivers don’t have to leave the distribution center to get their trucks where they need to go.
In the near future, remote control enabled by high definition video feeds and fast two-way mobile communications will let operators take over trucks that drive autonomously when needed, like for the last mile through city streets.
Cargo
With AT&T Asset Management solutions, tracking devices the size of bars of soap can monitor environmental factors such as humidity, vibration, light, and temperature to let shippers keep tabs on the condition of sensitive goods as well as their location at all times.
In-store experience
The customer has already researched and comparison-shopped online, and learned what the store has in stock. She just wants to make sure that the items she is interested in fit and that the colors are good matches for the other clothing and accessories that she wants to pair with them.
Store salesperson
The salesperson easily helps the customer with her specific questions, because she can see her order history on the tablet. She can also suggest new items and pairings that the customer may not have considered. And she can handle the purchase via mobile payment without leaving the customer’s side.
Digital transactions
AT&T networking solutions provide businesses with HIGHLY secure and consistent website resources. The online shopping experience is optimized for both desktop and mobile, bandwidth is flexible and adapts to shifting demand and owners don't need to worry about abandoned shopping carts due to technical difficulties.
Businesses are able to focus more on their products than on infrastructure or security of their customer's data.
Mobile device
The customer logs into the physical store with the store's app as she passes through the doors, smoothly merging her online and physical shopping experiences. The store's backend systems and salespeople are now aware of her physical presence in the store, facilitating personal recommendations by salespeople based on her shopping history and preferences.
Store sensors
For purchases the customer doesn’t need help with, sensors that detect the weight of items on shelves in conjunction with store cameras identify items she picks up. When she walks out of the store, the customer’s selections are automatically charged to her account via the store app on her phone.
