In the past year, VDC has undertaken some rather interesting projects, helping our clients identify new target markets (regional and vertical) and exciting new opportunities to help promote business growth both now and in the future. Our April 2015 VDC View highlights some of the most interesting and pressing opportunities for AutoID technology vendors, distributors and end users.
- The warehouse of the future – An explosion in e-commerce sales volumes has retailers and service providers scrambling to get their technology infrastructure up to date. The ability to enhance supply chain efficiencies and lower costs associated with product shipment and delivery will drive increased investments in warehouse automation with a strong focus on newer data capture technologies like camera-based imagers, wearable devices, and augmented reality solutions.
- Big data-driven decision-making – Big data is a topic generating significant interest among AIDC industry veterans. Information vital to accurate business decision-making can be found not only in transactional data collection methods but even more so via data capture solutions like scanners, imagers, machine vision systems, and disparate sensors. In many ways, these data capture solutions today are facilitating the big data and Internet of Things (IoT) phenomena that then help streamline operational processes. VDC believes AIDC vendors with the ability to provide their largest customers with guidance and direction in analyzing and presenting big data in a meaningful way will be most successful in the future.
- Mobile scanning transforming AIDC market – Vendors such as Honeywell (Captuvo sleds), Infinite Peripherals, KoamTac, Scandit, Socket Mobile, and Zebra Technologies (CS companion scanners product line) are taking the necessary steps toward building software-based data capture platforms or hardware-enabled solution sets that are fueling the mobile scanning revolution, particularly in retail and logistics environments. In 2015 and beyond, VDC expects success in the data capture market to be determined by these vendors’ ability to be adequately agile in their sales and marketing strategies, especially as enterprise-wide solution consistency, low TCOs, and higher ROIs become necessary.
- China, an opportunity not to be missed – China is primed to become the world’s largest consumer market in 2015, taking the top spot from the United States. The country has seen remarkable growth in e-commerce with online shopping now accounting for 10% of total retail sales (transaction value upwards of $450 billion) and posting high double-digit growth rates, especially in tier-1 cities. Warehouse and logistics automation is now a key focus for retailers and service providers, which bodes well for AIDC vendors despite the bureaucratic challenges associated with such significant transitions. VDC strongly recommends data capture industry participants to initiate a relationship-building process with local Chinese systems integrators and service providers in order to adequately begin to serve this burgeoning market.
This past year has brought about some exciting developments that are altering the AIDC space as we know it. For a fuller grasp of these AutoID industry themes, read the entire VDC View here.
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