Logistics and Supply Chain Technology Report 2021

中国电信（欧洲）有限公司 C h i n a T e l e c o m ( E u r o p e ) L t d .

The persistent risk presented to data and logistics operations by IoT was cited as a central challenge faced by 38% of survey respondents. Security flaws within IoT devices are well documented by this point and devices at the network edge must be kept up to date, with firmware patches regularly applied and infrastructure updated wholesale if necessary. However, due to the existence of both an IoT and cybersecurity skills gap, this may often be a neglected area of operations. Dealing with the IoT skills gap in logistics is yet a nascent issue for businesses, but with the number of IoT devices growing exponentially it has the potential to develop into a fatal problem. Maintaining and managing data, sensors and other devices investment in IoT infrastructure requires investment in upskilling and training your workforce. Whether through training programs or incentivising talent to join and build a team, 27% of enterprises surveyed for this report told us that a solution needs to be found for the continued existence of a skills gap for employees. Data storage and management have also been a tricky process to handle for 29% of the businesses we surveyed. The large amount of data being generated from IoT devices have increased the urgency with which businesses must deal with their data storage procedures. As we have seen, the right solution can encourage collaboration and greater visibility across the supply chain and though cloud providers are slowly filling this gap, finding the right infrastructure to both manage and store data requires the right partners.