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The Internet of Things (IoT) is all about using sensor data to make better decisions. The use of sensor data to make better decisions is nothing new in warehousing. Warehouse management systems (WMS) have for decades relied on scans from barcode scanners to confirm floor level activities have occurred correctly. In the last ten years, we’ve seen other automatic identification technologies to achieve the same sorts of process reliability. Another historical IoT use case is to use device data to tell operators when machines need maintenance. This could be as simple as a forklift whose battery needs to be charged, to something more complex, like a highly automated conveyor whose ball bearings need lubrication or replacement. Material handling systems are a natural generator of sensor data. The leading material handling conference in North America is called ProMat. ProMat is going on this week. At ProMat, a startup called SensorThink had its coming out party. IoT will cause companies to look for platforms for leveraging IoT data. The SensorThink platform includes a warehouse control system, a digital platform for capturing IoT data, and Cloud analytics for analyzing the data. The digital platform collects the IoT data, cleanses it, and harmonizes it (there is one common data schema for storing this data). The data can come from material handling systems, lift truck sensors, building automation systems – which control the temperature and humidity of buildings, and security systems. The platform can that uses messaging technology to distribute relevant messages to the appropriate systems and people. IoT generates massive amounts of data. SensorThink compresses this data stream by only collecting change of state data. Eric Peters, a serial entrepreneur with long roots in warehouse software, is the cofounder and CEO of the company. Mr. Peters calls this “a digital platform for the […]