Considering the pace at which technology is advancing and the rate of adoption, cybercrime and cybersecurity have become pressing challenges.According to Michael Henning, sales manager at Easy Clear, there is no magic shield against cybercrime. “Awareness, education and good cybersecurity systems that are regularly updated are your best defence. In addition, it is important to keep abreast of trending technology. Maintaining a healthy relationship with your software service provider will see your business into the f uture.”He says Easy Clear has embraced the fourth industrial revolution (otherwise known as 4IR or Industry 4.0) wholeheartedly. The company has launched robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions within its suite of products, enabling error-free systems processing to occur in record time. This, in turn, increases productivity.Easy Clear has also launched its own training facilities in recognition of the need to upskill both staff and clients in the use of new technology.“Industry 4.0 is having a major impact on the freight sector,” he says. “All aspects of the supply chain are affected in some way or another. In some cases, the impact is felt acutely and in other areas it is not as evident, but the fact remains that we are all affected as a supply chain.”Henning says change continues to be experienced daily, be it in the reduction of paper-based documentation in favour of a more digital data trail or in how information is being shared. “What is of increasing importance is the protection of the same information, particularly in light of the growing onslaught of cybercrime.”According to Henning, there is no end in sight regarding the advancement of technolog y, and with it, the growth of the freight industry. “We will be able to move more product faster and further than ever before. Technology is changing the way we do business. It will bring ample opportunities for increased productivity and revenue due to less human intervention and error as systems and processes are automated.”He says data integration has been the forerunner of 4IR and it has morphed into what we now refer to as blockchain solutions. He makes mention of the following developments in tech that have made an impact: “Radio-frequency identification (RFID) readers enable data to be read in real time, and the collation and interpretation of big data allows for decision-making that affects the supply chain in real time.”
