TECH & INNOVATION

By FedEx | October 9, 2020   

FedEx CIO Rob Carter dives into the tech trends that are exciting him most right now.

As FedEx CIO, it’s Rob Carter’s job to stay on top of the trends that will impact the logistics industry and transform lives. A self-confessed technology lover who is living his ‘dream job’ every day, Rob has seen a huge amount of global innovation at FedEx in the decades since he joined.

So, what’s on his radar screen? We break down the 3 tech trends that offer the greatest possibilities for businesses everywhere:

In the world of IoT (Internet of Things), sensor-based logistics has immense potential. There’s a lot to be excited about when it comes to sensor-based tech at FedEx. Take for example, the recent intelligent package called SenseAware ID that tracks your package in real time from start to finish, with full visibility along the way on transport conditions.

Rob reveals that FedEx holds “a huge number of patents on sensor-based logistics and embedded sensors that move inside and light up critical shipments. And this year will bring a pretty significant wave of innovations from us around that.”

SenseAware ID ushers in a new standard of precise location tracking. This lightweight, compact sensor, transmits precise package location data every two seconds and is a critical future roll-out for our healthcare industry customers. This new technology will help move life-saving pharmaceuticals and medical supplies and also hugely aid us in COVID-19 vaccine shipments.

Rob adds, “This is a connected world, and I've believed for some time that the connections of the world have always been important. They've been the basis of civilizations since networks began to connect and trading lanes opened.”

Rob is also ‘crazy excited about autonomy’. Automation in the supply chain – where every second saved counts – can be applied at almost all essential stages: from warehouse selection to courier assignment and automatic labeling to AI-powered sorting robots. Post-pandemic, we’ll all emerge with a greater understanding of how autonomy in logistics benefits customers — and society — through such devices.

Rob believes that “Technology is the central nervous system of any company”.

Something that Rob believes is ‘getting pushed to the background these days, but still important’, is blockchain. Blockchain - a digital record of a chain of transactions – is most often explored through the context of finance and crypto-currency. But Rob sees greater use cases for logistics too.

“When you think of supply chains and connected custody chains, and as the world tackles more digital fraud and issues at borders, blockchain brings huge potential as an open and connected system inside of supply chains globally.”

For the full story and to learn more about FedEx extraordinary journey with technology over 5 decades, check out the Inspired Execution podcast featuring Rob Carter here.