Digital twins, IoT, AI or Big Data—technologies that facilitate energy efficiency in Logistics and Transport

The transport and logistics of FMCG and distribution companies have been the protagonists of the most recent enerTIC Breakfast - Colloquium: Transition to a new logistics industry model, a meeting that brought together logistics and supply chain managers and specialized technology providers to analyze the most appropriate innovations for improving energy efficiency and sustainability in this area. On behalf of GMV, Magda Andrés Barrios, Business Developer Manager of the Industry Sector, took part in the colloquium to promote the application of technologies and digitalization to the energy efficiency and sustainability of this key sector of the Spanish economy.

Taking part in this breakfast were: Bodegas Matarromera, Citylogin, Importaco, Serveo Industria, Mercamadrid and Prosol, together with GMV, Ibermática and Opentrends as sponsors.

Sustainability, an opportunity and an obligation

Problems in the supply chain, offshoring, the rising cost of raw materials and fuels, and the obligation to meet the sustainability objectives of the 2030-2050 Agendas have led to significant uncertainty in a sector with multiple players and tremendous atomization.

Added to this is a more demanding and hyper-digitalized customer, who requires new services, quality, and immediacy and even demands more sustainability from brands Although this is not always reflected in their purchasing habits.

Taking all this into account, the main challenges mentioned by FMCG and Retail sector managers point out, in particular:

• Technological adaptation of factories that are not prepared to work in connected environments.
• Cybersecurity to keep all systems secure, including those in production plants.
• Training and awareness of users (mainly operators and transporters) to understand the benefits of implementing technology to improve energy efficiency and sustainability.
• The availability of data for immediate decision making, especially in today's changing and dynamic environment.
• The scarcity of resources in smaller companies prevents the implementation of innovation projects, which has repercussions for the rest of the value chain.
• Legal uncertainty and the geopolitical environment that makes it difficult to make decisions on aspects such as the purchase of less polluting vehicles.
• Rapid technological progress leads to obsolescence of systems, applications and devices.

To meet these challenges and ensure the success of the technology, the professionals gathered at the symposium highlighted the importance of collaborative environments between industry and IT suppliers; active listening to technology users; as well as the need to change the current model to adapt it to the real need for sustainability and costs, and where technology is aligned with the value chain and the business model.

Disruptive technologies to achieve energy savings

Among the technologies that are currently already being used to reduce energy consumption and streamline processes, emphasis was placed on sensor technology and the use of IoT devices, aligned with connectivity (5G), systems integration and Big Data analytical tools.

For production and transportation environments, the use of Digital Twins was discussed, which allow production process models to be made and synergies to be obtained in the medium term.

Advanced analytics is another solution for consumption forecasting, as it allows the inclusion of external factors and the search for patterns. Gone are the days when the most important thing was to know what had happened. The key today is to know what will happen.

As conclusions, innovation must be at the service of the process and the user, it must be practical and understandable because it is essential for profitability and sustainability. Technology succeeds when there is a business model behind it and when there is investment. Not being sustainable is no longer an alternative.