Adopting technology to advance the digitisation of processes and documentation through blockchain or APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), is a growing trend and will continue to be for the foreseeable future, says Michael Henning, sales and general manager at Easy Clear.“This is especially true given that the change of and adoption of these digital processes requires some effort to implement and then upskill staff,” he says. “The value is almost immediately realised as the benefits are evident once in place.”At the same time, consumers are becoming the driving factors behind the transformation of the supply chain as convenience these days is key. “A connected service and tailor-made seamless interactions are more and more in demand, requiring all parties in the supply chain to be connected,” he says.The opportunities presented by Industry 4.0 are vast, but none more so than the ability to create versatile and convenient customer experiences. “Through the adoption of and adaption of technology within the conventional value chain approach to the supply chain by partnering with and integrating with all parties in the supply chain seamlessly, one can then differentiate from the less creative competition,” explains Henning, who maintains that the ability to change is the key to survival and growth in these modern times.“The advantage of Industry 4.0 is that it conceptualises the rapid change to and adoption of technology affecting the supply chain, but also social patterns and processes. For some time Easy Clear has been promoting the adoption of technology and a move into a S.a.a.S and I.a.a.S environment to reduce risk and dependency on legacy architecture, software and infrastructure, and also to streamline business through the digitalisation of processes.”Henning says considerable success has been achieved in this regard, and at least 60% of the company’s client base has migrated to this far more user-friendly risk-mitigated environment. “It is a testimony to the change in social behaviour and adoption of technology in our industry as the advantages are tangible.”Using the example of a client who recently suffered an armed robbery at their coastal head office, Henning explains the value of Industry 4.0.“The criminals made off with anything that they deemed valuable, including cellphones, laptops, computers and hard drives. Typically, however, the real value nowadays is the data and transactional records that are the heart of the business. In a normal on-premises software solution architecture, replacing the hardware and restoring the data in order to provide business continuity in this extreme circumstance could take anything from 24 hours to much more. Of course, that is based on the premise that adequate IT policies and backups have been in place. In the case of this particular client, who had recently migrated to the S.a.a.S solution, which is a web-based system, they were back to business as usual thanks to the ability to continue operations on employees' own personal computer equipment.”
