{"id":21061,"date":"2017-11-07T19:30:51","date_gmt":"2017-11-08T00:30:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/google-glass-wearable-tech-in-the-warehouse\/"},"modified":"2017-11-13T07:05:33","modified_gmt":"2017-11-13T12:05:33","slug":"google-glass-wearable-tech-in-the-warehouse","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/google-glass-wearable-tech-in-the-warehouse\/","title":{"rendered":"GOOGLE GLASS: WEARABLE TECH IN THE WAREHOUSE"},"content":{"rendered":"

You just received a delivery confirmation after browsing a consumer website of your choice. Within the next 24 hours, the product will reach your door.\u00a0But what really happens on the supplier\u2019s side? To answer this question, we need to look at the advances in digital supply chains. Today\u2019s customers, both in B2C and in B2B, want unique experiences that are delivered \u201con demand\u201d and at hyper speed. [1] The greatest concern for the supplier is managing all the information at competitive prices while staying cost effective. This means that data that arrives from many different sources (warehouses, transporters, and distributors) needs to be perfectly synchronized within this time frame. Quality of the data is crucial, and thus it is still a significant technological barrier that many companies are working on. [2] A recent study by the Center for Global Enterprise (CGE) suggests that \u2018a digital supply chains can lower procurement costs by 20% and reduce supply chain process costs by 50%\u2019. [3]<\/p>\n

According to SAP\u2019s CEO \u201cThe digital supply chain holds the promise of real-time data to sense demand, drive innovation, reduce cost, and deliver the customer the right product at the right time and price\u201d. [3] A McKinsey & Company research conducted on digital reinvention concluded that \u201cThe biggest future impact on revenue and EBIT growth, is set to occur through the digitization of supply chains.\u201d[4] And so, suppliers are actively looking to improve their performance while taking advantage of various technological advances.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Digital Supply Networks: Traditional, linear supply chain nodes are collapsing into a set of dynamic networks [5]<\/figcaption><\/figure>Google Glass partners with Active Ants<\/strong><\/p>\n

In early 2013, Google Glass was named \u201cbest invention of the year\u201d by Time Magazine and was even dedicated a 12 page spread in Vogue magazine. Despite all the hype, Google Glass did not live up to its expectations. High price and privacy concerns were raised as tech enthusiasts referred to the product as \u201cthe worst product of all times\u201d. [6] Trying to \u2018save\u2019 the product, Google Glass partnered with various companies to demonstrate its possible transformation to the industry and so, Google Glass made an interesting stir to the world of supply chain management. [7]<\/p>\n

Google partnered with \u201cActive Ants\u201d,\u00a0 a Dutch logistics fulfillment company which ships products for 50 different online stores. It gave stock pickers Google Glasses for one week to check possible productivity increase. The results were impressive: Google Glass led to a 15% increase in stock picking speed and a 12% decrease in worker errors as it provided stock pickers with detailed information on certain products\u2019 locations. Jeroen Dekker, a managing partner at the Active Ants said: \u201cTraditionally, the pickers would walk around with pick lists specifying products, locations and quantities; now this information is displayed on Google Glass.\u201d [8-10]<\/p>\n

Predicting that Google Glass will be worn more by a retailer than by a customer, Google customized its technology. The\u00a0WSJ<\/em>\u00a0wrote \u201cThe new model has a faster Intel processor, improved battery life of as long as two hours and improved wireless connectivity, it can be moved vertically as well as horizontally, while the first version offered only horizontal adjustment\u201d. [11]<\/p>\n

Google Glass is partnering with more companies with hopes of replacing the ageing handheld terminals (HHTs) which are in use across most warehouses across the world. Likely applications will include pick, pack and dispatch as well as workforce management for store associates in the years to come. [12]<\/p>\n

Looking into the future through Google Glass<\/strong><\/p>\n

Google Glass must take advantage of this amazing opportunity for it to rebuild its lost reputation. There is potential to generate annual savings of millions of dollars if bigger fulfillment companies such as Amazon will implement this technology. First, Google Glass needs to acknowledge that although great improvements have been made, the technology isn’t ready yet. Currently, the battery life is\u00a0only two hours, which is not long enough to last a full workday even if an additional battery were to be added. Second, consumers would like to hear how practical Google Glass is in an environment that is not as controlled as \u201cActive Ants\u201d, therefore Goggle Glass must actively engage and generate feedback from more and bigger trail companies, thus making the skeptics believe in the new value of their product.<\/p>\n

Do you think that wearable tech can really transform the warehouse? If so, can Google Glass revolutionize the way supply chains operate? Conversely, is this trail only a gimmick and a means to revive and justify a product that did not sell?<\/p>\n

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(Word Count: 757)<\/p>\n

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References<\/strong><\/h3>\n

[1] \u00a0Hanifan, G.; Crosnier, S.; Timmermans, K. “Digital Trendsetters: Secrets Of The Most Successful Digital Supply Chains”.\u00a0Accenture\u00a02016,\u00a0Strategy.<\/p>\n

[2] \u00a0Stefan S.; Philipp B. “How digitization makes the supply chain more efficient, agile, and customer-focused” (Sep 7th, 2016) https:\/\/www.strategyand.pwc.com\/reports\/industry4.0<\/p>\n

[3] Digitalist “Supply Chain Futurists Predict The Impact Of Digital Transformation”\u00a0 (Nov 3rd, 2016) http:\/\/www.digitalistmag.com\/digital-supply-networks\/2016\/11\/03\/supply-chain-futurists-predict-impact-of-digital-transformation-04617201<\/p>\n

[4] Digital McKinsey “The case for digital reinvention”<\/em>\u00a0(Feb 2017) https:\/\/www.mckinsey.com\/business-functions\/digital-mckinsey\/our-insights\/the-case-for-digital-reinvention.<\/p>\n

[5] Deloitte US,\u00a0<\/em>“Digital supply networks” (2017) |<\/em>\u00a0https:\/\/www2.deloitte.com\/us\/en\/pages\/operations\/solutions\/digital-supply-networks.html?id=us::3gl:confidence:eng:cons::::Rdzo1ftx::229772169289:b:::nb<\/p>\n

[6] Bilton, N. “Why Google Glass Broke”<\/em>\u00a0, Forbes (Feb 4th, 2015) https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2015\/02\/05\/style\/why-google-glass-broke.html<\/p>\n

[7] “Wearable Tech Comes to the Warehouse”<\/em> – National Fulfillment Services https:\/\/www.nfsrv.com\/blog\/wearable-tech-comes-to-the-warehouse\/<\/p>\n

[8]Orange Business Services “Five real world Google Glass applications” (May 30th, 2014) https:\/\/www.orange-business.com\/en\/magazine\/five-real-world-google-glass-applications<\/p>\n

[9] Official\u00a0Active Ants YouTube<\/em>; 2017. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=iD9dqwqcBFc<\/a><\/p>\n

[10] \u00a0Taylor, C. “Finally, a Real Business Use for Google Glass”<\/em>\u00a0(May 7th, 2014) http:\/\/mashable.com\/2014\/05\/07\/business-google-glass\/#AB9_DBkrOgqO<\/p>\n

[11]\u00a0E. Morphy,\u00a0\u00a0“Finally, Goggle Gets Glass, We Hope” (July 30, 2015) https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/erikamorphy\/2015\/07\/30\/finally-google-gets-glass-we-hope\/#5636c600bbae<\/p>\n

[12] Retail Innovation, “Using Google Glass in a Warehouse”<\/em>\u00a0(Nov 21, 2014) http:\/\/retail-innovation.com\/using-google-glass-in-a-warehouse<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How Google Glass may transform digital supply chains.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10125,"featured_media":21067,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[3234,3235,2375],"class_list":["post-21061","hck-submission","type-hck-submission","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-active-ants","category-digital-supply-chain","category-google-glass"],"connected_submission_link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/assignment\/rc-tom-challenge-2017\/","yoast_head":"\nGOOGLE GLASS: WEARABLE TECH IN THE WAREHOUSE - Technology and Operations Management<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/google-glass-wearable-tech-in-the-warehouse\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"GOOGLE GLASS: WEARABLE TECH IN THE WAREHOUSE - 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