The Intershop Smart Drill is an example of how traditional everyday objects can be connected to sensors and the Internet to create innovative product-as-a-service offerings.
Modern devices such as smartphones, speakers or watches transmit data to each other via the Internet. Put simply, everything that has an IP address is part of the Internet of Things. What does this mean for e-commerce? The data collected allows us to derive which products are preferred, what goods are consumed, or where we are located.
In the work environment, the process is the same. Data from machines reflects how high the consumption of goods or the wear and tear of materials is. This is where B2B e-commerce can benefit from the IoT: With a direct connection, consumables and spare parts are ordered automatically or a notification to reorder is triggered. Through direct M2M (machine to machine) communication, many industry processes can be automated - resulting in fewer errors and reduced costs.
As can be seen in our example video, special IoT technology is needed to allow machines to communicate with each other. However, this sensor technology, e.g. RFID chips, are already widely available. Intershop customers use IoT technology in smart factories, for example, to save money with predictive maintenance or to open up completely new revenue opportunities with innovative business models such as pay-per-use.
In our example video, you can learn how a special drill can be rented out and billed with a cryptocurrency based on run performance.
The use of IoT technology in e-commerce has many benefits, including:
Optimized shipping logistics, improved customer relations, more efficient e-commerce – these are just a few of the many benefits that the Internet of Things brings to e-commerce. Contact me to find out how you can take advantage of it!