Discovery’s IoT Solution Transforms Supply Chain Management

IoT is widely regarded as a transformative technology poised to impact everything from smart homes to connected vehicles.

Supply chain operations stand to gain the most. Yash Mehta, an IoT and Big‑Data specialist, notes that a joint Cisco‑DHL study estimates that IoT could contribute $1.9 trillion (≈€1.62 trillion) to the $8 trillion (≈€6.84 trillion) global supply‑chain market—about 25 % of the overall value IoT would generate.

During a recent visit to the Hong Kong IoT Expo, I discovered an innovative startup called Discovery that is targeting this trillion‑dollar opportunity with a groundbreaking IoT solution.

Key Supply‑Chain Pain Points in Retail

• Asset Tracking – Globalisation has spread retail footprints worldwide, requiring region‑specific supply‑chain strategies. Without uniform visibility, companies face inflated costs, quality issues, and delayed deliveries.
• Stock Management – Stock‑outs and obsolescence drive retailers to lose billions annually. A recent survey found that a $1 billion retailer could lose $40 million (≈€34.2 million) each year due to inventory mismanagement.
• Retailer & Customer Relations – Accurate asset tracking allows companies to benchmark retailer performance, ensure product quality, and provide real‑time status alerts, boosting customer retention and brand equity.

Discovery’s Solution

Discovery’s network is built on three layers: the Cliot‑IoT tag, a user community, and advanced data analytics. The hardware component, Cliot, is a self‑charging, printable tag that harvests ambient radio waves via back‑scattering. It is designed for mass production at just $0.10 (€0.086) per tag.

Each tag can handle approximately 100 pings per day and communicates with smartphones within a 30‑meter radius using Wi‑Fi or Bluetooth. Sensors such as IR, gyroscope, and temperature modules can be embedded, depending on the application. No additional infrastructure is required, giving Discovery a scalable edge over existing IoT solutions.

In essence, Cliot offers:

• Cost‑Effective Tracking – $0.04 (€0.034) per month per item.
• Real‑Time Visibility – Immediate inventory and sales data, empowering timely business decisions beyond traditional market research.

Tracker Development Progress

Discovery launched a semi‑automatic tracking solution in March 2017, where products were tagged and data captured manually via a mobile app. A beta version built on Bluetooth architecture is currently under development and slated for launch in Q2 2018.

Author: Yash Mehta, award‑winning IoT and Big‑Data expert featured in multiple publications.