我們吃的、穿的、買的每一件商品，從蔓越莓到曲軸，幾乎都要經過供應鏈。在供應鏈當中協助管理這些商品的公司，為美國貢獻的GDP高達7.5%。

由于商品運輸的高成本，公司在完善服務的同時，也一直在想方設法節約成本。而新興技術可能就是他們要找的答案。

隨著人工智能技術的創新和區塊鏈這種分布式總分類賬技術的發展，增強現實將會改變供應鏈管理軟件。增強現實將信息投射到真實世界（就像是橄欖球比賽直播時，用來代表首攻碼標牌位置的黃線），可以幫助卡車司機、倉庫工人和管理者跟蹤商品從離開工廠到送達用戶家門的全部行程。

通過包裝上的傳感器，公司管理人員能夠對公司產品的銷售情況進行高級分析。一家工廠可以根據數千家零售店當天的銷量，實時增加或削減產量。研究數字供應鏈的數據科學家可以從產品中生成新的見解，不論商品正在卡車配送途中，還是已經擺上了經銷商的倉庫貨架。如果銷量喜人，達到預期，制造商可以削減產量，向有需求的地區重新分配供貨，從而達到減少損失的目的。

目前已有超過10億部支持增強現實的智能手機和平板電腦被投入使用，所以公司不必等待低成本的增強現實眼鏡，現在就可以開始享受增強現實帶來的好處。增強現實將通過下面五種方式，將供應鏈轉變為服務全球商品配送的靈活工具：

1）分揀包裝服務

倉庫通過增強現實技術，更高效地定位商品，裝入外送包裝盒中。運營“分揀包裝”服務成本最高的部分是培訓新員工如何在龐大的倉庫內找到他們要找的商品。增強現實眼鏡可以在倉庫地面繪出一條虛擬的路線，簡化查找和培訓過程。在節日季的高峰時間，臨時工需要迅速上手。增強現實可以在眼鏡上向新員工持續反饋他們的表現和不足，從而縮短學習曲線。分揀和包裝變得更像是吃豆人游戲，工人必須在時間耗盡之前收集正確的物品。對增強現實分揀包裝系統的實地測試，將失誤率減少了40%。有些增強現實眼鏡甚至可以提供貨架上的所有包裹的圖形疊置，從而大幅縮短了尋找和識別待分揀商品的時間。包裝完成后，增強現實軟件可以立即向快遞運營商提供裝卸指示和預計發運時間。

2）協同機器人

機器人是終極的人類技能增進。工人只需要舒服地坐在辦公桌前，帶著增強現實眼鏡，就能透過機器人看到倉庫內的情況?，F在的增強現實眼鏡可以在倉庫內繪制機器人的行走路線，利用機器人的力量舉起和移動沉重的貨物。危險的或重復性的任務，例如卡車裝車等，都可以分配給機器人，人類可以指導它們如何最有效地裝載貨物，從而實現最大負載。此外，物流機器人可以掃描每件商品的破損情況，核對重量，遵守任何包裹發運指示。通過將機器人連接到管理人員，如果在卡車離開倉庫之前任何商品缺貨，可以自動提醒客戶。

3）維護

防患于未然是成本效率最高的維護方式。現在許多飛機在地面時，會通過Wi-Fi傳輸飛機發動機使用數據，增強現實則可以協助維護人員將發動機數據與航空電子系統內其他類似飛機的歷史記錄進行對比，從而減少發動機停機時間。然后，這些算法會在問題可能出現之前建議進行維護。對于在地面的大部分時間都停泊在較遠位置的飛機，增強現實也可以幫助航空公司中心更有經驗的維護團隊，了解本地技術人員正在處理的問題，及時提供現場支持。

4）最后一英里配送

在物流過程中，最后一英里配送的成本最高。而增強現實可將最后一英里配送的時間縮短近一半，從而節約成本。DHL的報告顯示，貨車司機每天40%至60%的時間在車廂內查找接下來要配送的正確包裹。而有增強現實對每一件包裹進行識別、標記、排序和定位，司機不需要費腦筋記住早上如何裝車。將人工智能與增強現實相結合，還可以幫助司機準確找到收件人的家或建筑大門。這些系統會記錄每一次配送，使新司機可以借鑒老司機的經驗。在不久的將來，每位司機遇到的每一棟建筑都將有一個圖形疊置。

5）采購

區塊鏈的分布式總分類賬功能結合增強現實，可確保采購過程的透明度和可追蹤性。當客戶無法確信一件商品的原產地或真偽時，整個供應鏈就會崩潰。每年有價值數十億美元的假藥被配送給患者，有成千上萬人死于服用假藥。從制造商到最終用戶，利用增強現實識別和跟蹤每一批貨物，可以幫助解決這個致命的問題。在區塊鏈上記錄每一次所有權轉移，也可幫助跟蹤魚類的原產地或農產品的來源。

大數據已成為全世界供應鏈產品分配決策的驅動因素。增強現實將大幅提高數據分析和做出響應的速度。增強現實為供應鏈帶來的洞察力，可用于驅動以自動駕駛汽車和配送無人機為特色的下一代供應鏈。（財富中文網）

本文作者杰伊·薩米特是德勤（Deloitte）數字現實業務的獨立副總裁，并著有暢銷書《突破自己》（Disrupt You!）

譯者：劉進龍/汪皓

Nearly everything we eat, wear and buy – from cranberries to crankshafts – moves through a supply chain. And businesses that help shepherd all those products along that chain account for an astounding 7.5% of U.S. GDP.

Because of the high costs of moving goods from point A to point B, corporations are always on the lookout to save money in addition to improving service. Emerging technology may be an answer.

Thanks to innovations in artificial intelligence and distributed ledger technology known as blockchain, augmented reality is poised to transform the software used to manage supply chains. Augmented reality, which overlays information onto the real world (think of that yellow line shown during televised football games to indicate the location of the first down marker) will now help truck drivers, warehouse workers, and management keep track of products from the second they leave the factory until the moment they arrive at your door.

Using sensors on packaging, company managers will be able to perform advanced analysis of how a company’s products are doing. In real-time, a factory can increase or decrease production based on that day’s sales at thousands of retail locations. Data scientists working on the digital supply chain can generate new insights from their products regardless of whether the shipment is sitting in the back of a delivery truck or on a distributor’s warehouse shelf. If sales are as robust as forecast, manufacturers can cut losses by making fewer products and redistributing items to where the demand is.

With over one billion AR-enabled smartphones and tablets already in use, companies don’t have to wait for low-cost augmented reality glasses to start reaping the benefits of augmented reality. Here are five ways that AR is transforming the supply chain into a nimble tool for global distribution:

1) Pick-and-Pack Services

Augmented reality is being used in warehouses to more efficiently locate products and pack them in outgoing boxes. One of the costliest parts of running a “pick and pack” service is training new workers to navigate a large warehouse and find the one product they are searching for. AR glasses can paint an imaginary line on the warehouse floor to simplify the searching and training. During the peak holiday season, temporary workers need to be on-boarded quickly. AR shortens the learning curve by providing new hires with constant feedback on their glasses about how they are doing and what can be improved. Picking and packing becomes more like a game of Pac-Man, in which workers must gather the correct items before time runs out. Field tests of AR pick-and-pack systems have reduced errors by as much as 40%. Some AR glasses can even be used to provide graphic overlays of packages on shelves, thereby minimizing the time needed to find and identify items to be picked. Once packed, the AR software can instantly provide carriers with handling instructions and anticipated shipping times.

2) Collaborative Robotics

Robots are the ultimate human augmentation. Workers sitting comfortably at their desks can wear AR glasses that let them see what a robot in the warehouse sees. AR glasses can now chart the paths of robots through warehouses and use their strength to lift and move heavy cargo. Dangerous or repetitive tasks, such as loading a truck, can be delegated to robots that operate with human guidance when it comes to how to best load the items to achieve the maximum load. Additionally, logistics robots are able to scan each product for damage, check its weight, and abide by any package shipping instructions. By connecting robots with managers, customers can be automatically alerted if any products that aren’t available before the truck even leaves the warehouse.

3) Maintenance

Fixing a problem before it happens is the most cost-effective form of maintenance. With many aircraft engines now transmitting usage data via Wi-Fi when they are on the ground, augmented reality is assisting maintenance crews in reducing engine downtime by comparing engine data with the past history of other similar aircraft with avionics systems. These algorithms then suggest maintenance before a problem is likely to occur. For planes that spend most of their ground time at distant locations, AR can also enable more experienced maintenance teams at the airline’s hub to see what local technicians are dealing with and provide timely live support.

4) Last Mile Delivery

In logistics, the last-mile of delivery to customers is the most expensive. AR can save money by cutting the time spent on last-mile delivery nearly in half. According to a DHL report, drivers spend 40% to 60% of their day searching inside their own truck for the correct boxes to deliver next. Instead of having to remember how their truck was loaded that morning, augmented reality is used to identify, tag, sequence, and locate every parcel. Combined with artificial intelligence, AR glasses can also navigate the driver to the proper door or building gate for delivery. These systems will record each and every delivery so that new drivers will benefit from past driver experiences. In the near future, every driver will be given a graphic overlay of each building they encounter.

5) Procurement

The distributed ledger capability of blockchain is being combined with augmented reality to bring transparency and traceability to procurement. The entire supply chain falls apart when customers can’t be assured of a product’s origin or authenticity. Each year, billions of dollars’ worth of counterfeit pharmaceuticals are distributed to patients, and tens of thousands are dying. Using AR to identify and track each shipment from manufacturer to end user is a way to help solve this deadly problem. Recording each transfer of ownership on a blockchain can also assist in tracing the origin of fish or the source of harvested crops.

Big data drives the decision making behind the world’s distribution of products throughout the supply chain. Augmented reality is now poised to exponentially increase the speed at which data can be analyzed and acted on. The insights augmented reality bring to the supply chain can be used to power the next generation of the supply chain, which will feature autonomous vehicles and delivery drones.

Jay Samit is independent vice chairman of Deloitte’s Digital Reality practice and author of the bestselling book “Disrupt You!”